By Carey Wedler California state lawmakers recently passed a bill forcing restaurants to offer specific beverages to children. Governor Jerry Brown signed the legislation, which passed easily in both the Senate and Assembly, at the end of September. Though SB 1192 allows customers to order…
By Carey Wedler (CW) — Over the last several years, CBD (cannabidiol) has increasingly been shown to aid in the treatment of seizures, particularly in children. The evidence is so strong that the FDA, an organization notoriously opposed to cannabis, approved the first CBD-based medication for one particular seizure disorder…
By Carey Wedler (CW) — On Thursday, the U.S. Senate approved a bill to legalize hemp, an industrial crop that has been banned for decades. In April, Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Rand Paul (R-KY), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) submitted a separate bill…
By Carey Wedler The case for employing 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA, to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) grew stronger this week. A study published in the Lancet Journal of Psychiatry documented promising results when used in conjunction with psychotherapy, adding to previous similar findings. A small study of 26 veterans…
By Carey Wedler This week, a study of eleven popular water bottle brands revealed microplastics are pervasive in packaging around the world. Though this may be unsurprising considering the widespread use of plastics, Coca-Cola admitted the possibility that their water products contain synthetic materials. The research was…
By Carey Wedler Despite increasing evidence that CBD (cannabidiol), a nonpsychoactive cannabinoid, can help treat severe seizure disorders, a thirteen-year-old Virginia boy suffering from a rare disease has been denied treatment for his use of the plant. Kaden Hartman suffers from Niemann-Pick disease, also dubbed “Child Alzheimer’s.” According…
By Carey Wedler For years, the opioid addiction and overdose crisis has been headline news across the United States, and rightly so. In 2012, 241,000 privately insured patients had an “opioid dependency diagnosis.” By 2016, that number had ballooned to 1.4 million, not including individuals on…
By Carey Wedler Lebanon, Oregon— As the opioid crisis continues to plague the country, one cannabis company in Oregon is proposing a new solution. Kaya Holdings Inc. (KAYS), the first publicly traded company to open and operate a medical cannabis dispensary, is planning to set up an opioid-for-weed…
By Carey Wedler A twelve-year-old girl with epilepsy is suing Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the Department of Justice, and the Drug Enforcement Agency to legalize cannabis across the country. Alexis Bortell developed epilepsy at the age of seven, and FDA-approved medications failed to improve her condition. She suffered…
By Carey Wedler Every Halloween, warnings to parents sound the alarm on cannabis and other drugs ending up in their children’s candy. While these advisories rarely come to fruition, another dangerous substance is guaranteed to be in kids’ treats: sugar.Though the link between sugar consumption and…
By Carey Wedler According to a recent survey conducted by cannabis market research firm the Brightfield Group and HelloMD, an online medical cannabis community, nearly half of CBD (cannabidiol) users give up prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications in favor of the non-psychoactive substance. The survey of over 2,400 respondents found forty-two…
By Carey Wedler Laplace, Louisiana – A McDonald’s employee says he was fired after posting a disturbing picture of the ice cream machine at the Louisiana location where he worked. The photo he tweeted quickly went viral, prompting an Internet backlash for the fast food…
By Carey Wedler In Yulin, Guangxi, China, thousands of dogs are being tortured and killed to be sold as food at the world’s largest dog meat festival, taking place this week. The annual event has received widespread criticism in recent years but has been difficult…
By Carey Wedler A review of multiple studies focusing on the effects of mindfulness practices like yoga and meditation has found that these efforts may have the potential to reverse genetic expressions of stress. As the analysis, published this month in the journal Frontiers in…
By Carey Wedler Attorney General Jeff Sessions has been vocal about his archaic opposition to cannabis. Before and after becoming the nation’s top cop, he expressed his ill-advised distaste for the plant, suggesting “good people don’t smoke marijuana” and bemoaning the possibility that cannabis shops…
By Carey Wedler According to a recent review of existing scientific data, foods with high levels of pesticides may compromise brain health and lower IQs. The report, commissioned by the E.U. parliament to determine the safety of pesticides in food and the potential of organic…
By Carey Wedler The United States’ first certified organic fast food chain also pays its workers a living wage — and they’re having success with consumers as they expand beyond their first two locations. See: Former Costco Exec Launches The US’ First 100% Organic Fast-Food Restaurant…
By Carey Wedler In a sign of the times, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus performed for the last time Sunday evening. The show is the latest to succumb to changing societal attitudes toward forcing animals to perform in entertainment acts for humans….
By Carey Wedler In recent years, the term “plant medicine” has come to be associated with psychedelics like mushrooms and ayahuasca, which are increasingly documented to provide mental and emotional relief to users. But according to a recent analysis from Kew Gardens in the United…
By Carey Wedler Social media erupted with grief Thursday upon news that Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell passed away. Though a medical examiner quickly ruled the death to be a suicide, his wife issued a statement Friday adding speculation to the circumstances surrounding his death. After…
