New Study Reveals THC Potency Inflation in Colorado Weed

A majority of cannabis flower products purchased at licensed retail pot shops in Colorado contained less THC than indicated on the label, according to a study performed by a researcher at the University of Colorado Boulder. The study showed that THC levels indicated on the label of approximately 70% of products tested were at least 15% higher than those reported by a third-party lab after purchase.

The research was conducted by Anna Schwabe, an associate lecture professor of modern cannabis science at the University of Colorado Boulder. To complete the study, Scwabe collected 23 cannabis flower samples from 10 licensed dispensaries located across the northern Colorado Front Range, which includes the cities of Denver, Fort Collins and Garden City. 

The samples represented 12 different cannabis strains including sativas, indicas and hybrids, with different THC potency levels reported on the product packaging. Some THC potency levels were reported as a range from 12.8%-19.3% on the lower end and 28.07%-31.28% on the higher limit, while others were reported as a single value such as 16.4% or 17.4%.

After the samples were collected, they were sent to an independent laboratory for analysis using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), which separates, identifies and quantifies the different chemical compounds contained in a mixture. HPLC is the most commonly used method in cannabis testing to determine cannabis potency and detect contaminants, making it an important tool to ensure consumers that products have been tested for safety, purity and potency.

A comparison of lab testing results revealed that approximately 70% of the samples had reported THC levels that were at least 15% higher than the levels determined by the independent laboratory.

“Among the 23 flower samples analyzed, 18 displayed lower THC levels than reported – with 16 falling below 15% of the stated value, 13 falling below 30% of the reported THC and three samples falling below half of the reported THC,” Schwabe wrote in a report about the research published by nonprofit news source The Conversation

Four of the samples were within the range indicated on the label, while only one product contained more THC than the potency level reported on the packaging. 

Schwabe noted that the lower THC values determined through independent lab testing were not due to degradation, adding that THC can degrade to the cannabinoid CBN (cannabinol) over time. However, CBN was not detected in measurable amounts in the samples, and additional testing showed that THC levels were stable over time.

The research also revealed a significant increase in cannabis potency over the last 15 years, a period that includes the 2014 legalization of recreational cannabis in Colorado.

“THC levels averaged 9.75% back in 2009, based on testing of DEA-seized cannabis flower. Today, levels reportedly surpass 35%, though they’re not as common as consumers have been led to believe,” Schwabe wrote in her report. “DEA-seized cannabis flower averaged 13.88% in 2019, which is closer to my observed mean of 14.98% than the reported mean of my samples, which was 20.27%-24.10%.”

The research did not determine who is responsible for the misinformation found in reported cannabis potency levels. Cannabis cultivators or dispensaries could be selecting the best flowers to submit for laboratory testing. Although regulations require tests to be performed on a random sample of a batch of cannabis flowers, oversight to enforce the guidelines is lacking.

The inaccuracy in cannabis potency labeling could also be the result of fraud. Cannabis testing labs could be manipulating the testing process or doctoring the numbers indicated on certificates of analysis to ensure repeat business or gain new clients, the author of the study noted.

Schwabe noted that accurate lab testing of cannabis potency is important for medical marijuana patients who may want to carefully control their dose of THC. Proper potency testing is also significant for consumers who purchase recreational weed because companies can charge higher prices for cannabis with high levels of THC.

Schwabe, who is also a board member for the nonprofit Agricultural Genomics Foundation, said that the cannabis industry should focus on educating “consumers on how to make more informed choices by looking beyond mere THC percentages.” 

“People generally do not shop for wine or beer based on alcohol content,” the researcher wrote. “Instead of focusing on THC content, a novice cannabis consumer might consider brands that are reputable or strains that have an aroma or flavor profile they enjoy. Eventually, they may move on to find a favorite breeder or grower, or a trusted dispensary that employs a knowledgeable budtender.”

The post New Study Reveals THC Potency Inflation in Colorado Weed appeared first on High Times.

Nebraska Bill Aims To Increase Taxes on CBD, Hemp Products by 100%

A recent property tax relief bill in Nebraska is seeking to create new income opportunities for the state, including a variety of sales tax exemptions. This includes adding sales taxes for products like candy and soda, as well as services such as pet care and grooming, but most importantly, adding a 100% tax to CBD and hemp products.

Legislative Bill 388 was recently passed by the Nebraska Legislature’s Revenue Committee on March 21 in a seven to 10 vote. The bill was initially introduced by Sen. Lou Ann Linehan in January, who is also the chair of the Revenue Committee. “Sales tax exemptions will be removed on pop and candy, on pet services, on advertising revenue over $1 billion dollars, increased taxes on games of skill to 20%, and lottery tickets,” Linehan wrote in an outline. “Taxes on cigarettes will increase from 63 cents to one dollar and on vaping by 20%. We are going to tax hemp and CBD at 100%. This will result in new revenue of $182 million dollars.”

Overall, Linehan estimated that this would allow approximately $560 million in property tax credit funds that would be granted to schools, providing $3,000 per student in foundational aid. It would also create $650 million in property tax relief. The outline also describes “essentials” such as electricity, natural gas, or propane, as things that should not be taxed. “We are in a time of great revenue growth,” the outline concluded. “We have the revenues to pay for this now and for the foreseeable future.”

These proposals have created a rift among Nebraskan legislators. Gov. Jim Pillen approved the committee’s work on approving the bill so it can proceed to the floor for debate. “I want to congratulate the members of the Revenue Committee on advancing historic and transformational property tax relief and reform out of committee on a 7-0 vote,” Pillen said in a statement. “Thank you for delivering once in a lifetime transformational property tax relief plan to all Nebraskans.”

Many others, such as Sen. Julie Slama, expressed shock regarding the CBD and hemp tax increase. “I’m 100% opposed to LB-388, which is the largest tax increase in Nebraska history,” Slama said.

John Gage, state director of Americans for Prosperity, criticized the bill. “There’s nothing innovative about raising taxes on Nebraskans. This bill does not solve our property tax problem and will result in a higher tax bill for hardworking families,” Gage said, according to KETV. “This is the kind of big government nonsense you expect in California, not Nebraska. Legislators will be held accountable if they choose to vote for the largest tax increase in state history.”

Platte Institute CEO Jim Vokal called LB-388 a bad tax policy. “In recent years, the legislature has repeatedly succeeded and shown the best path to lowering taxes is to constrain all sources of revenue and spending growth,” said Vokal. “Such constraints need to be imposed upon local governments. We believe that constraining state and local revenue and spending growth is the best path forward rather than raising new sales tax revenues to lower property tax revenues.”

Cannabis is illegal in Nebraska, although sales of hemp-derived cannabinoid products continue to thrive. In January, Legislature Bill 199 was introduced by Sen. Teresa Ibach which, if passed, would ban the sale, possession, and consumption of such products. “While a product could be advertised as delta-8 or delta-10, these products could—and most likely do—contain chemicals, compounds and other impurities that are not listed on the label,” Ibach explained.

Meanwhile, advocates with Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana (NMM) are hard at work collecting signatures to qualify their medical cannabis initiative for the 2024 ballot later this year. The group needs to collect signatures from 7% of voters in the state and 5% of voters in 38 of the state’s 98 counties (with approximately 125,000 raw signatures in total) by July 3.

As of March 15, NMM said on social media that it has collected more than 72,000 signatures from voters in nearly all Nebraska counties (with the exception of Grant, Keya Paha, McPherson, Sheridan, and Wheeler). NMM has attempted to get medical cannabis legalized since 2020. Back then, they only collected 14,212 signatures in three qualified counties, followed by 16,328 signatures in four counties in 2022. 

Recent polling conducted by the Neilan Strategy Group in February revealed that 70% of participants want to see medical cannabis legalization. “Nebraskans are clearly ready to legalize medical marijuana,” the Neilan Strategy Group stated.

NMM held its own poll in 2022 and found that 80% of participants said they approved of medical cannabis legalization. “Nebraskans are obviously ready to legalize medicinal cannabis,” said NMM campaign manager Crista Eggers, who explained how excited advocates are to be making so much progress this year. “We’re very excited about where we’re at. This time, we’re going to get it done or it is not going to happen,” Eggers said.

The post Nebraska Bill Aims To Increase Taxes on CBD, Hemp Products by 100% appeared first on High Times.

2024 U.S. Cannabis Sales Projected To Exceed $31 Billion

Regulated marijuana sales in the United States are expected to exceed $31 billion this year, according to a recent economic forecast from a firm specializing in cannabis and hemp business consulting, data, and economic research. 

The projection from Portland, Oregon-based Whitney Economics estimates that legal sales of medical marijuana and adult-use cannabis will total $31.4 in 2024. The forecasted amount is an increase of $2.6 billion from 2023, representing a growth rate of 9.14% year over year.

The projection notes that legal sales of cannabis have been suppressed since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, citing changes in consumer purchasing power, higher interest rates and delayed implementation of regulations in new markets as challenges facing the industry. Despite these factors, overall cannabis growth has remained positive. Legal cannabis sales declined in 10 states, however, an indication that new markets are needed for the industry to continue to grow.

Beau Whitney, chief economist at Whitney Economics, said that the new projection builds on a similar market analysis completed by the company last year.

“We are quite proud of our predictive analytics that resulted in last year’s forecast versus actuals being 98.3% accurate,” Whitney said in a statement about the new projection. “Although there are uncertainties in the near-term outlook, demand for legal cannabis in the U.S. will remain strong throughout the decade, with growth coming from newer markets.”

Regulatory Changes Needed For Continued Growth

The forecast projecting continued growth of regulated cannabis sales was welcomed by executives in the cannabis industry. Some noted, however, that the industry’s continued growth will depend on regulatory changes that permit cannabis businesses to operate like those in any other sector, including engaging in interstate commerce and access to banking services.

David Craig, chief marketing officer of Missouri licensed cannabis producer Illicit Gardens, said “It should be clear by now that cannabis isn’t going anywhere.”

“If the federal government is going to drag its feet on descheduling, then it’s up for the states to take the lead in removing regulatory hurdles to operators, especially multi-state ones,” Craig wrote in an email. “What most outside the industry don’t realize is the extreme burden operating without uniform standards across legal states.”

“It’s time for a coalition of states to come together and standardize the basics: packaging and labeling requirements, compliance fundamentals, marketing, and other restrictions,” he added. “Operating even in two contiguous states right now is practically the same as operating in two different countries. Resolving those disparities is an easy win for business and government alike.”

Sarah Carter, communications director at Symple Seeds, said that it is “fantastic to see the continued growth of the legal cannabis industry.” 

“This significant increase of $2.6 billion from the previous year underscores the momentum and potential within the market.” Carter wrote in an email to High Times. “However, amidst this success, it’s crucial to acknowledge the persistent challenge of limited access to banking for cannabis businesses. This obstacle not only hinders the industry’s ability to operate efficiently but also poses risks in terms of safety and transparency.”

Legislation that would allow businesses in the regulated cannabis industry to access traditional banking services has been passed in the U.S. House of Representatives more than half a dozen times in recent years. An updated version of the bill, known as the Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation Act is pending before the U.S. Senate. In a statement last fall, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said that he intends “to bring the SAFER Banking Act to the Senate floor with all due speed.”

“Addressing this banking issue is paramount for unlocking the full potential of the cannabis sector,” said Carter. “With proper access to banking services, businesses can streamline operations, improve financial transparency, and foster greater investor confidence. Moreover, it would facilitate responsible business practices and compliance with regulatory requirements.”

The post 2024 U.S. Cannabis Sales Projected To Exceed $31 Billion appeared first on High Times.

Germany Approves Cannabis Reform Plan: Possession Legal April 1

The German government last week adopted a bill to end the prohibition of cannabis for adults that will make possession and home cultivation of weed legal in Europe’s most populous nation as of April 1. The legislation, which also allows for the establishment of cannabis clubs, was given final approval on Friday in the Bundesrat, Germany’s legislative chamber representing the country’s 16 federal states. The bill has already been approved by the second chamber of parliament known as the Bundestag, which voted to pass the legislation late last month.

Under the limited legalization bill known as CanG, adults aged 18 and up will be permitted to possess up to 25 grams of marijuana and store up to 50 grams of weed at home beginning on April 1. The measure also permits adults to grow as many as three cannabis plants at their residences. 

On July 1, Germany’s weed legalization plan will begin permitting non-commercial cannabis clubs, where members will have access to legally cultivated marijuana. Each cannabis club will be limited to no more than 500 members. The legislation does not include provisions that allow for-profit recreational marijuana producers or retailers.

“The fight was worth it,” Health Minister Karl Lauterbach wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, according to a translation from Politico. “Please use the new option responsibly.”

“Hopefully this is the beginning of the end for the black market today,” he added.

Before Friday’s vote, the leaders of several federal states called for a mediation committee to be convened to resolve disputes over the legislation with the Bundestag. Had the mediation committee been called, enactment of the cannabis legalization plan would have been delayed, likely by about six months.

The states raised concerns about an amnesty provision in the law that requires judicial review of tens of thousands of past cannabis cases, fearing the process would overwhelm the courts. Some also criticized the maximum cannabis possession amount as too high and called for weed prohibition zones near schools and kindergartens.

A motion to convene a mediation committee was offered but did not gain the number of votes needed for approval. The Bundesrat then voted to approve the plan to legalize cannabis in Germany, which will join Malta and Switzerland in the small group of European nations that have approved limited cannabis legalization plans.

Niklas Kouparanis, the CEO and co-founder of Frankfurt-based medical cannabis company Bloomwell Group, says that the legalization of adult-use cannabis in Germany will also have a significant impact on the nation’s existing medical marijuana industry. While there are now an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 medical cannabis patients in Germany, Kouparanis says that number is likely to increase by as much as 10 times when reclassification goes into effect.

“While it will probably take some time before the first licensed clubs – permitted under the new law – produce significant amounts of recreational cannabis, the CanG is the best news for the German medical cannabis industry since the ‘Cannabis as Medicine’ law passed in March 2017,” Kouparanis wrote in a statement to High Times.

“Starting April 1st, medical cannabis will no longer be classified as a narcotic, and can now be prescribed by physicians as a completely ‘normal’ Rx, such as antibiotics or high-dose ibuprofen,” he added. “This reclassification significantly reduces costs and other administrative burdens to access–from cultivation to further processing and distribution, to storage to dispensing in the pharmacy.”

The limited cannabis legalization bill adopted on Friday is considered the “first pillar” of Germany’s cannabis policy reforms, Politico reports. The “second pillar” is expected after the decriminalization plan is in effect, and will consist of five-year municipal pilot programs for state-regulated cannabis to be sold at licensed retailers.

The post Germany Approves Cannabis Reform Plan: Possession Legal April 1 appeared first on High Times.

MC Lars Interviews Alex Abyss

For the first time since 2006, Alex Abyss sits down, and gives his side of the things, from the early days of Psychopathic. In this 20+ minute interview Double A chats with MC Lars on episode 122 of ‘The MC Lars Podcast’ and a whole lot gets covered in it. Such as;

-How AA met all the guys

-AA and ICP conquering the music game

-The AA side of the Psychopathic sale, and money situation

-AAs new graphic novel, and RPG

-AA appearing at Astronomicon

And don’t forget, Alex will be Astronomicon next month, debuting his new graphic novel, Chivalrous Arts! He’ll be signing autographs, and chopping it up all weekend, next month.



from Faygoluvers