Hempcrete – about an eighth of the weight of traditional concrete – extremely fireproof – provides insulation – cuts down on pests – useful in areas where flooding is a problem due to its resistance to mold – doesn’t rely on petrochemicals – comes from a renewable source

Laura Brodbeck , Benzinga Staff Writer
The House That Pot Built: Using Hemp For Construction

The House That Pot Built: Using Hemp For Construction
As marijuana slowly gains mainstream approval across the US, some entrepreneurs are looking to the plant for other uses. Hemp is a non-psychoactive variety of cannabis which can be used to make things like wax, paper, clothing and in this case, buildings.
Jim Savage, a New York-based former Wall Street analyst has started his own business makinghempcrete, a building material he says could revolutionize construction.
A New Kind Of Material
Hempcrete is made by mixing hemp chips with water and lime and can be used as a substitute for concrete. Not only is the substance only about an eighth of the weight of traditional concrete, but hempcrete is extremely fireproof, provides insulation and cuts down on mold and pests. Savage says that although hempcrete can’t be used to fix load bearing features, the substance could be useful in areas where flooding is a problem due to its resistance to mold.

Full Article:
http://www.benzinga.com/news/15/10/5915142/the-house-that-pot-built-using-hemp-for-construction
 

Palm Beach County Commissioners have voted to decriminalize marijuana

Jason Hackett

 
With a 4 to 1 vote Tuesday, Palm Beach County followed in the footsteps of cities like West Palm Beach and Miami Beach and decriminalized pot.
“We have to understand that we cannot legislate and lock up everybody for everything they do,” commissioner Priscilla Taylor said at Tuesday’s commission meeting.
Commissioner Steven Abrams also supported the ordinance.
“For someone who is caught with a small amount of marijuana, I think it’s worth it in order to not mess up that person’s life,” he says.
 
Full Article:
http://www.wptv.com/news/region-c-palm-beach-county/palm-beach-county-commissioners-have-voted-to-decriminalize-marijuana
 
 

More Than 75% Of High School Heroin Users Started With Prescription Opioids

http://www.forbes.com/sites/cjarlotta/2015/12/07/more-than-75-of-high-school-heroin-users-started-with-prescription-opioids/

Why Washington Is Dreaming Of A ‘Green’ Christmas

By Julia Wright

It’s been three years since recreational cannabis was legalized in Washington – and in the weeks leading up to the holidays, business has never been more brisk.
Overall, monthly sales in the state grew from $3-million in the first year, to more than $57-million this November. Figures from the Liquor and Cannabis Board indicate 24 tons of marijuana was harvested in the state in November alone.
As the countdown to Christmas continues, many cannabis retailers are stocking up with special products and promotions on offer. It’s the continuation of the Green Friday phenomena: the day before Thanksgiving, Nov. 25, smashed previous state sales records, with 188 recreational cannabis stores selling some $3.5-million worth of bud and infused products.
As The Spokesman-Review reported, that’s almost $500,000 more than any other previous sales day – and about $1 million more than the average of daily sales over the last three months.
 

Full Article:
https://www.civilized.life/dreaming-of-a-green-christmas-in-washington-1510160820.html

 

Amazon, Margaret Cho are developing ‘Highland,’ a sitcom about a weed shop

By , The Cannabist Staff

Comedian and actress Margaret Cho (Ethan Miller, Getty Images)
 
Amazon and Margaret Cho are getting into the weed business.
Rather, the commerce giant and the stand-up comic are developing a sitcom about the weed business — a show called “Highland,” about a dysfunctional family running a marijuana shop, according to a new report in Variety.

Cho will play a character coming out of a court-ordered rehabilitation facility who starts over by moving in with her character-filled family, who happen to run a cannabis dispensary. The show is being developed to run on Amazon Prime, the corporation’s Netflix-like streaming service that is already home to award-winning shows including “Transparent.”
 
Full Article:
http://www.thecannabist.co/2015/12/14/amazon-margaret-cho-highland/45071/
 
 

Medical marijuana is this Mexican grandma’s magic remedy

 
(Picture Courtesy: AFP)

(Picture Courtesy: AFP)

However cannabis is banned in Mexico.
Mexico: When her legs ache, this Mexican grandmother rubs them with marijuana-infused alcohol. She is well aware the homemade remedy defies the country’s cannabis ban, but her family has used the concoction to treat ailments since she was a child, handing it down the generations. “I really have a lot of faith in it,” said the slender 53-year-old, a housewife and amateur dancer who spoke to AFP about her cannabis use on condition of strict anonymity.
“When I’m very tired, I spread it on my legs, feet and body. It’s really good. I can go without salt but not without marijuana with alcohol. My grandmother used it,” she said, holding a plastic bottle filled with the leaves and liquid. In turn, she used the family remedy to care for her three children, and three grandchildren. For the kids, a piece of cotton soaked in the liquid is placed in the bellybutton to fight fevers. When they’re congested, the alcohol is rubbed on the chest and back.
 
Full Article:
http://www.asianage.com/life-and-style/medical-marijuana-mexican-grandmas-magic-remedy-058

Get Ready to See Hemp Fields Cropping Up in New York

 
By spring, New York farmers may be able to grow hemp legally for the first time in decades.
The Hemp Research Bill, introduced in Albany by Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo and Senator Tom O’Mara, was signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo last year. As its title suggests, the bill allows researchers to grow and study “industrial hemp” — that is, cannabis with less than .03 percent tetrahydrocannabinol (or THC, the chemical that causes cannabis users to feel high).
New York’s bill follows the Agriculture Act of 2014, a federal law that legalizes growing hemp for research by state departments of agriculture and universities under the guidance of individual state laws.
Once the regulations are finalized by the end of this month, ten hemp growing licenses will be awarded by the Department of Agriculture. Universities or colleges can apply for a license and do research on their own or partner with a farmer. Already Cornell University and Morrisville State College have expressed interest in participating in the research.

 
Full Article:
http://www.villagevoice.com/news/get-ready-to-see-hemp-fields-cropping-up-in-new-york-7981806

Kentucky senator files “Cannabis Freedom Act” to legalize recreational marijuana

BY EMILY GRAY BROSIOUS

 
Kentucky Senator Perry B. Clark (D-Louisville) pre-filed a bill Friday to legalize and regulate marijuana for adult recreational consumption in the state, as reported by ABC affiliate WHAS11.

The “Cannabis Freedom Act” would legalize marijuana cultivation, possession and sales in Kentucky and would regulate the marijuana industry similar to the alcohol industry.
Full Article:

http://extract.suntimes.com/news/10/153/10039/kentucky-senator-files-cannabis-freedom-act-marijuana-legalization-bill
 

La Pine, Oregon council repeals medical marijuana tax

Jennifer Wade

 
The La Pine City Council voted unanimously Wednesday night to repeal the city’s 5 percent sales tax on medical marijuana, a week after the city was sued Dec. 2 by Green Knottz, a dispensary in La Pine.
City Attorney, Jeremy Green told NewsChannel 21 Thursday that the decision to repeal the tax was ultimately a business decision, as a legal battle would cost more than the revenue the city collects from the tax.
 
Full Article:
http://www.ktvz.com/news/la-pine-council-repeals-medical-marijuana-tax/36906692

San Francisco prepares for legalization of recreational marijuana use

By

Supervisor Scott Wiener, who created the cannabis task force, stands outside The Apothecarium, a medical marijuana dispensary in San Francsico. (Mike Koozmin/S.F. Examiner
 
Expecting California voters will legalize recreational marijuana use next year, San Francisco is assembling a task force to propose regulations for the industry, addressing everything from drug potency to where pot businesses can locate.
Cancer survivors, those living with HIV, business owners and medical marijuana dispensary operators were among the 48 applicants vying for 14 seats on the newly created Cannabis State Legalization Task Force. The body will advise the Board of Supervisors on regulating the marijuana industry.
 
Full Article:
http://www.sfexaminer.com/san-francisco-prepares-for-legalization-of-recreational-marijuana-use/