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With the legalization of cannabis for medicinal and recreational use in more than half the United States, using marijuana to improve your quality of life has never been easier. There are both physical and emotional/mental benefits with marijuana consumption. Aside from smoking marijuana recreationally (which can create a sense of peace and relaxation for some users), cannabis can be also be used as a natural alternative for pain relief, nausea management during chemotherapy, appetite stimulation during HIV/AIDS treatment, anxiety reduction during PTSD therapy sessions, and many other conditions where prescription medicines are not always effective.

Marijuana Can Help with Chronic Pain

Marijuana is a popular treatment option for people suffering from chronic pain. In a study published in the Journal of Pain, patients who smoked marijuana daily reported a significant reduction in pain symptoms. Pain management is one of those aspects where people find it difficult to function as they normally would without medication.

Chronic conditions such as back pain or arthritis can take away from your ability to enjoy life and do activities that you love. While going on walks, hikes, and exercising naturally have benefits of their own, it’s hard for people with chronic pain to enjoy these activities if they’re constantly hurting. Cannabis has a myriad of different compounds called cannabinoids, which have been proven to greatly ease chronic pain.

Diabetes can be Regulated Through Marijuana

Cannabis consumption has also been proven to prevent diabetes, or better regulate it for people who already suffer from this chronic health condition. The prevention of diabetes is especially important, because type II diabetes can lead to blindness and other serious health issues. Research conducted by the Global Diabetes Community has indicated that marijuana usage can help stabilize blood sugar, lower blood pressure, and generally enhance blood circulation.

Marijuana can Help Cancer Patients with Symptoms

The cannabinoids in marijuana can also greatly help people who suffer from cancer. There are many different types of cancer, and each type has a unique set of symptoms that need to be addressed. The cannabinoids found within cannabis have been proven to significantly reduce the effects of chemotherapy while simultaneously enhancing patients’ appetites during their treatment sessions. By combating nausea caused by typical cancer treatments (such as radiation and/or chemotherapy), marijuana can both alleviate patients’ physical discomfort and calm them emotionally.

A Natural Cure for Insomnia Sufferers

Cannabis has also been shown to help people sleep better at night, allowing them to wake up in the morning with an improved mood and greater energy for daily tasks throughout their day. This benefit alone can greatly improve quality of life. Approximately 70% of young adults report that marijuana assists with their insomnia and helps them sleep better. How exactly does marijuana help users sleep? The research is still unfolding, but it is believed that “sleep-promoting effects of cannabinoids are due to their interactions with cannabinoid receptors in the brain,” according to the Sleep Foundation.

Marijuana Can Help with Depression

Depression is another mental condition that can be somewhat treated with marijuana. How cannabis can help those suffering with depression is this: the cannabinoids in marijuana help regulate serotonin, which is known as “the feel-good hormone” and helps improve people’s general mood. Chemicals found in people’s brains can either work well with other compounds, or can clash poorly. Research has indicated that those with depression who use marijuana can benefit greatly from it.

Cannabis has Extensive Health Benefits

It’s no surprise that cannabis is still illegal in some states. The good news is that the laws and regulations surrounding marijuana are changing in more and more of the United States! The even better news? If you want to live a healthy life, the secret may be right under your nose! Cannabis has many health benefits and can help with pain relief without any of the nasty side effects or addictive qualities of other drugs like opioids.

Doctors are starting to recommend it for treatment-resistant patients because there’s so much data supporting its effectiveness. Weed benefits are extensive and this plant could just save our lives one day when we need it most.

If you’re interested in learning more about cannabis usage or looking for a dispensary in San Diego, feel free to visit us! Our dispensary in Lemon Grove has a wide range of all things marijuana, and if you have any questions our awesome budtenders can help you out!

While cannabis usage has been proven to have a number of benefits, one of the most common concerns from people who are new to the world of weed is how they can manage what many call a “weed hangover.” The effects of cannabis vary from person to person, but some people experience feeling not so great afterward, whether it’s a few hours later or the next day. If you’re looking for an answer, we have them! Here we’ll discuss various ways that you can deal with your headache and nausea after consuming too much marijuana in one sitting.

Take a walk outside

Often, weed hangovers are brought on by the feeling of sluggishness and fatigue from being stuck in bed all day with no energy to do anything else. If you take a nice long walk after smoking some cannabis, this can help your body get back into its regular rhythm and improve circulation around your whole body. It may be tempting to sit back and feel lazy after smoking marijuana, but having that willpower to get up and take a walk can be rewarding.

Eat some food

Consuming marijuana causes your stomach to empty its contents much faster than it normally would, which can lead you to feel nauseous and sick after smoking too much cannabis. Instead of having that third or fourth bowl in one sitting, eat something healthy before smoking weed so that you’re not experiencing the negative effects of a “weed hangover.” Similarly to drinking alcohol on an empty stomach and experiencing intoxication much faster and at a more intense level, smoking marijuana without having food in your system can definitely worsen the after effects for some people.

Eat light meals with plenty of protein and vegetables to help your stomach recover from the effects of THC. We all know how good McDonalds or something equally greasy and unhealthy sounds when you have the munchies. While it may sound tempting in the moment, resist the urge to get a burger and fries, and go for something healthier. Your body will thank you later.

Avoid drinking alcohol or coffee

Caffeine and alcohol will make you feel worse at this time. The only thing worse than a weed hangover is a combined weed and alcohol hangover. If you’re going to drink, wait until after the worst of your high has worn off before indulging in alcoholic beverages. Similarly, the caffeine found in coffee will do nothing to help your weed hangover. You most likely won’t feel the usual effects of caffeination, especially while the effects of THC are still lingering in your system.

Take advantage of CBD oil

If you have some hemp oil CBD on hand, it can help take away that hazy feeling and relax your body so you can get some rest. CBD will help your body relax, and it can also counteract the paranoia that comes with having a weed hangover. You may want to have this oil nearby before you go out – just in case!

Visit The Boulevard for all your cannabis needs

Moderate how much marijuana you consume, especially if you’re not an experienced cannabis smoker. It’s a common misconception that first-time marijuana users will not get high the first time they smoke. On the contrary, you may get more high than an experienced smoker would, considering your body has not built any tolerance yet.

The next time you find yourself feeling like your head is in the clouds after marijuana consumption, try these tips to cure that weed hangover. They may not be able to undo all the effects done by THC, but they will at least help alleviate some of it. Remember to moderate your cannabis consumption and listen to your body. Don’t overdo it! To ensure you are getting the best cannabis products, visit our dispensary in Lemon Grove or check out our website for more information.

How has marijuana affected the United States workforce? Despite the COVID-19 pandemic creating a stir in the workforce last year and putting many people out of jobs, one trend remained the same: a rising number of employees testing positive for marijuana. According to Quest Diagnostics, Inc., the amount of United States workers testing positive for marijuana through urine tests has increased. Out of the approximate seven million tests administered through Quest to determine the presence of marijuana in potential employees’ systems, 2.7% of the tests came back positive. This is an increase from 2019, which had results of 2.5% positivity, as well as 2016, which showed 2% positivity.

Marijuana drug tests have not increased exponentially

Under normal circumstances, a gradual increase annually would be expected. However, considering the workforce was shaken up in 2020, it would have made more sense for the positive marijuana results to have been shifted more dramatically, too. Although state and federal numbers indicate an increase in drug overdoses and abuse, Quest Diagnostics representatives state that that increase is not depicted in their data because many drug abuse victims likely did not have to undergo workplace drug testing.

Drug tests can happen at random in the workplace, or if there is actual suspicion of drug use. Potential candidates for companies in the United States often have to undergo drug tests prior to employment, which includes marijuana in addition to harder drugs. More and more companies, however, are abandoning the involvement of testing for marijuana in their drug testing routine.

Visit The Boulevard for all your cannabis needs

If you have any questions about marijuana usage, consumption, or types of cannabis, visit our website or store.

More states are not factoring marijuana test results into hiring decisions

As more states are in the throes of legalizing medical and/or recreational marijuana, positive marijuana tests are naturally climbing. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, so far seventeen states have passed some sort of legalization measures. Most recently, this includes Arizona, Virginia, New York, and New Jersey. As the marijuana legalization process treks on throughout the United States, more and more employers are changing their marijuana testing protocols and resetting the culture of drug testing.

Many companies have stopped factoring positive marijuana test results into their hiring decisions. With the increasing legalization of marijuana in more states, there is more leniency toward marijuana than other drugs. Using positive marijuana test results as a reason to not hire someone, or fire an existing employee, is seen as grounds for a lawsuit in states where it is legal.

Moreover, some employees are stopping marijuana testing to provide an incentive for potential employees. A job where drug tests don’t include marijuana as part of the scanning process may seem more desirable to prospective employees who do consume marijuana, whether recreationally or medicinally. For example, the Hospitality Ventures Management Group (which runs mainly Marriott and Hilton-branded hotels) has stopped screening for marijuana detection nationwide, which makes it out to be a more competitive employer. Taste of Texas restaurant co-owner Edd Hendee says, “Drug testing does not make or break your ability to find good people.” He maintains the stance that a prospective employee testing positive or negative for marijuana is not an indicator of what kind of employee someone will be.

The United States has varying stances on the topic of marijuana throughout the country. Much like all politics, cannabis legalization is not a mere black or white issue. Some states are still criminalizing individuals for marijuana possession, while others have already legalized both medicinal and recreational marijuana. Many states are still somewhere in the middle. Steps may have been taken to legalize cannabis usage, but it’s a long, complicated process that simply doesn’t happen overnight. The whole process from A to Z can take years. After all, good things take time, right? So what is marijuana “decriminalization,” and how does it differ from full legalization?

Louisiana’s steps toward marijuana legalization

On Tuesday, May 4th, 2021, the Louisiana House of Representatives took a pretty important step toward the end goal of marijuana legalization. Louisiana currently has some strict laws prohibiting cannabis, which also include fines and potential jail time if individuals are caught with it. However, Louisiana’s latest legislative session approved a bill to decriminalize marijuana possession as long as it’s a half-ounce or less. Prior to passing this bill (House Bill 652 authored by state Rep. Cedric B. Glover [D – Shreveport]), individuals caught with marijuana would be criminalized, meaning they would have to pay fines at the very minimum, but also likely face jail time.

What does criminalization (or decriminalization) of marijuana mean exactly? In the state of Louisiana, individuals possessing marijuana prior to House Bill 652 could have been facing criminal charges. If they were caught with half an ounce of marijuana (roughly 14 grams), they would be looking at a $300 fine and/or 15 days in jail on the first offense. Second and third offenses would invoke more serious penalties, such as heftier fines and increased jail time.

Marijuana consumption and possession varies by state

House Bill 652 has proposed the decriminalization of marijuana. So where does that leave Louisiana? Decriminalizing marijuana basically means that the possibility of jail time is eliminated, as long as the possessed marijuana is less than a certain amount (half an ounce, in this case). How the marijuana quantity is handled varies by state. For example, in 2019 North Dakota made the maximum penalty for marijuana possession a $1,000 fine for a half-ounce. Instead of getting arrested, the individual in question would be facing a summons instead. While Louisiana and other states have a lot of work ahead of them for marijuana legalization, the vital first step is decriminalizing cannabis.

While Louisiana’s new bill is on the right track toward marijuana legalization, it’s still got a ways to go. Decriminalizing marijuana possession and consumption is simply taking away the option of going to jail. Legalizing marijuana for recreational use (a step ahead of medicinal use) generally means that the state would create a legal, private market for selling marijuana. This allows businesses to grow it and/or sell it for individuals over 21. The marijuana industry would be a part of the state’s economy, bringing in millions of dollars in business revenue.

Visit The Boulevard for all your cannabis needs

If you have any questions about marijuana usage, consumption, or types of cannabis, visit our website or store.

Pre-employment drug screening for cannabis has been prevalent in the American workplace for decades, but is it time for this procedure to end? In Philadelphia, members of the City Council certainly seem to think so. With a vote of 15 to 1 in favor of passing the measure (Bill No. 200625), members of the Council have decided that cannabis screening is an outdated process and not necessary in today’s day and age. Philadelphia’s mayor, Jim Kenney, is scheduled to sign the bill into law. It will become effective on January 1, 2022.

Some employees will be exempt from this cannabis bill

The named bill “prohibits employers from requiring prospective employees to undergo testing for the presence of marijuana as a condition of employment, under certain terms and conditions.” However, some prospective employees will be exempt from this bill and will still have to undergo drug screening for marijuana. Potential employees that will still be required to take a drug test include law enforcement officers, some healthcare workers, and/or those that supervise children or are involved with children in other capacities. Other prospective employees exempt from the new bill are those that are required to be tested under federal drug testing rules, which outweigh the state’s stance.

The deputy director of NORML, an organization dedicated to reforming marijuana laws, testified in favor of the bill at a hearing before the vote. “There’s no evidence to support the claim that those who consume cannabis in the privacy of their own home away from the job pose a unique workforce safety threat or risk,” he stated. With more and more states throughout the nation making moves to legalize marijuana, the question of cannabis drug screening is being raised over and over.

If cannabis is legalized, should drug tests not be allowed?

People argue that if recreational and/or medicinal marijuana is legalized, cannabis screenings should not be required seeing as how what employees choose to do in their time away from work should not matter. A study published in the Occupational Medicine journal shows that there is no identifiable “…association between past-year cannabis use and work-related injury,” which further proves the Philadelphia bill’s point.

Other states, such as California, are also in the process of creating bills that would ban most pre-employment drug tests for marijuana. Again, some professions are exempt in this bill too, such as those that fall into federal laws. So what is the ultimate goal here? These bills are essentially making it unlawful not to hire someone based on cannabis traces found in urine or hair tests.

Proponents of these bills also argue that the urine tests used for cannabis screening are only showing whether an individual has consumed marijuana in the past, but not whether they have actively interacted with THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which is known as marijuana’s main psychoactive ingredient. Marijuana is comprised of both THC and CBD (cannabidiol), the latter of which does not contribute to altering a person’s state of mind.

Visit The Boulevard for all your cannabis needs

If you have any questions about marijuana usage, consumption, or types of cannabis, visit our website or Lemon Grove dispensary.