Willie Nelson Releasing Cannabis Cookbook in November With Wife Annie

Country music icon, bestselling author, and cannabis entrepreneur Willie Nelson is releasing a cannabis cookbook this November with his Wife Annie.

According to a press release, “Willie Nelson pairs his gift for storytelling and herbal remedies with his wife Annie’s passion for home cooked meals in this cookbook of cannabis-infused delicacies”. The book is titled Willie and Annie Nelson’s Cannabis Cookbook.

In the Nelson family’s first ever cookbook, the couple says “we’re cooking with good vibes only.” Drawn from their favorite meals on nationwide tours, at the ranch, at home, and in their favorite cities along the way, “these recipes have stories to tell—and what better way to enjoy a good meal than with a high-flying tale and a relaxing buzz?”
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Total Wine & More, Largest Wine Retailer in the U.S., Now Selling THC Beverages in Texas and Louisiana

Total Wine & More, the largest independent wine retailer in the US, says it is now carrying a variety of drinks infused with THC in all of its Texas and Louisiana locations.

Founded in 1991 in Delaware, Total Wine & More operates 260 “wine superstores” across 28 states. In a press announcement Total Wine & More says it’s partnering with Bayou City Hemp Company and 88th Wonder in order to expand their portfolio of beverages containing hemp-derived THC. The products —including HOWDY, Beach Break and 8th Wonder Cannabis— will be added to all of its 38 Texas locations and all five Louisiana locations, with potential plans to go nationwide after that.

“Our THC beverages are taking Texas by storm and this partnership with Total Wine & More is a major advancement in our mission to bring these products to the mainstream,” says Bayou City Hemp and 8th Wonder CEO Ben Meggs. “These non-alcoholic beverages are widely sought after and we’re thrilled to make them accessible to the customers of such an iconic and reputable company in the Lone Star State and Louisiana. In a short amount of time, our products have emerged as some of the top sellers in Texas Total Wines.”
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DEA Says Average THC Content in Illicit Marijuana is 16%

According to a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) report, the average THC content of marijuana flower sold through the illicit market in the United States is 16%.

The report uses data from the University of Mississippi’s Marijuana Monitoring Program, which is responsible for testing marijuana seized by the DEA as well as local and state law enforcement. The DEA says the average THC potency in illegal marijuana is currently 16%, a roughly 30% increase from 2021, when the average DEA content was below 14%.

“The potency of THC in leafy marijuana is at an all-time high”, states the report.
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New Hampshire Committee Approves Medical Marijuana Legislation

Legislation that would have initially place an arbitrary cap on the allowable THC in medical marijuana has been given approval by a key committee in the New Hampshire House of Representatives.

Senate Bill 419 has been given approval through the Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Committee by a vote of 12 to 8. The proposal has already been passed through the full Senate, and will be sent to Governor Chris Sununu if it’s approved through the full House and the Senate concurs with any amendments.

“This bill establishes a definition of “cannabis concentrate,” imposes certain reporting requirements on the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and amends the definition of “usable cannabis” to that which is under 16 percent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)”, states the most recent summary of the bill.
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47 Cities in Ohio Have Placed a Ban on Marijuana Stores

The Ohio initiative that legalized recreational marijuana, approved by voters last year, allows cities to opt out of allowing marijuana sales. So far, dozens have chosen to do so.

According to a new report from Ohio State University’s Drug Enforcement and Policy Center, 47 cities and townships have chosen to pass temporary or permanent bans on the licensed distribution of marijuana, making it illegal for a marijuana store to open within their boundaries. This represents 2% of the state’s over 2,000 cities, townships, and villages.

Notably, none of the state’s most populated cities have enacted such a policy, with the average population of the cities implementing bans being around 20,000. One factor that may be contributing to fewer Ohio cities imposing bans than other states— in Michigan and New York, for example, over 50% of cities have bans on marijuana stores— is the Host Community Fund established under Issue 2, Ohio’s marijuana legalization initiative.

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Colorado: Over $125 Million in Marijuana Sold Legally in March, Resulting in Over $20 Million in Tax Revenue

In March, legal marijuana sales in Colorado topped $125 million for the first time since September.

According to the Colorado Department of Revenue, there was $126,630,910 worth of marijuana and marijuana products sold through legal means in March. This is a considerable increase over the $114 million sold in February and the $115 million sold in January. However, it’s a noticeable decrease from the $139 million sold in March 2023.

The over $125 million in marijuana sales resulted in $20,879,900 in tax revenue for the state.
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Study: Cannabis Oil Led to Long-Term Improvements in Chronic Pain Patients

The use of cannabis oil containing both THC and CBD “demonstrated a modest overall long-term improvement in chronic pain and related symptoms and a reasonable safety profile”, according to a new study.

Cannabis oil.

The study was published in the journal PAIN Reports, in addition to being published online by the US National Library of Medicine. The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Haifa, the Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, the Schiff-Keren Pain Clinic, the Chaim Sheba Medical Center, the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, the Rabin Medical Center, the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, and the Sagol School of Neuroscience, all in Israel, as well as the Washington University School of Medicine in Missouri.

“The use of medicinal cannabis for managing pain expands, although its efficacy and safety have not been fully established through randomized controlled trials”, states the study’s abstract. “This structured, prospective questionnaire-based cohort was aimed to assess long-term effectiveness and safety of cannabis oil extracts in patients with chronic pain.”
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President Biden to Receive Double-Digit Jump in Favorability Rating After Marijuana Rescheduling, Poll Finds

Polling shows that President Biden will receive a considerable favorability jump following marijuana being rescheduled.

According to nationwide polling around 60% of those likely to vote in the upcoming election support marijuana being moved away from its current Schedule I status. The survey found that among those made aware of the potential for marijuana to be rescheduled and of President Biden’s involvement in initiating the review process, his favorability rating increased by 11%.

The poll was conducted by Lake Research Partners, with participants surveyed prior to the DEA’s recent decision to reschedule marijuana to Schedule III, confirmed by the Department of Justice on April 30. Since the poll was conducted before the announcement that the rescheduling process would proceed (rather than just being under review), there’s a chance that President Biden’s 11% increase in favorability could be even higher if marijuana is officially moved to Schedule III before November’s election.
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Dozens of Marijuana Workers Unionize in Los Angeles

Workers at a Nabis Warehouse in California have voted overwhelmingly to join Teamsters Local 630. The 84 new Teamsters work as drivers and warehouse associates.

“We are dedicated to ensuring stability in the rapidly growing cannabis industry,” said Lou Villalvazo, Secretary-Treasurer at Local 630 in Los Angeles. “Organizing and empowering workers is the key to fostering their growth into the middle class.  Through solidarity and commitment, we will make these good middle-class jobs!”‘

The workers filed for the election on April 20, the internationally renowned cannabis holiday. They are the third group of cannabis workers to join the Teamsters in three weeks and the third group at the company to join the union.
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The 10 States Likely to be the Last to Legalize Recreational Marijuana

There are 24 states where recreational marijuana has been legalized, and numerous others with ongoing efforts to do the same. However, there are 10 states that seem long away from this type of reform.

There are five states with a legitimate shot to legalize recreational marijuana this year, including two that have legalization initiatives being voted on this November. On the other end of the spectrum, there are 12 states that not only haven’t legalized recreational marijuana, they haven’t even legalized medical marijuana. Although several of these states have ongoing efforts to legalize recreational marijuana, only two are far enough along in the process to elicit much hope (Wisconsin and South Carolina).

With that said, here are the 10 states that are likely to be the last to legalize recreational marijuana.
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