Author: Vanessa
The hemp industry is experiencing unprecedented growth, with market projections indicating billions in revenue potential over the next decade. Yet despite this explosive expansion, entrepreneurs entering the space face a critical challenge: a severe shortage of specialized education and training designed specifically for hemp business operations. Unlike established industries with well-developed educational infrastructure, hemp entrepreneurs must navigate complex regulatory frameworks, overcome persistent stigma, and build sustainable business models with limited guidance. This education gap represents a significant barrier to entry and growth, potentially slowing the industry’s momentum at a crucial inflection point. Enter HempAware, a creative marketing agency and educational…
Beckley Retreats are guided by a multidisciplinary team of facilitators whose backgrounds span psychotherapy, medicine, the arts, and contemplative traditions. The retreats are hosted in thoughtfully chosen locations in Jamaica and the Netherlands. As part of the Beckley ecosystem, which builds on the pioneering work of its co-founder, Amanda Feilding. Dubbed the “Queen of Psychedelics” by author Amanda Siebert, Fielding founded the Beckley Foundation in 1998—a think tank and NGO dedicated to furthering psychedelic research and advocating for policy reform. At Beckley Retreats, the goal is to “bridge the latest scientific research with ancient wisdom traditions to create the richest…
As the concentrate market continues to grow, the solventless category captures a significantpercentage of consumers. Solventless extraction uses mechanical separation techniques toisolate cannabinoids and terpenes without any chemical solvents. This approach appeals toconsumers and regulators alike for its clean profile, avoiding residual solvent concerns andpreserving the plant’s natural terpene spectrum. At commercial scale, solventlessprocessing—primarily through ice water hash (bubble hash) production and subsequent rosinpressing—demands precise control to achieve high purity, consistent yields, and elevatedPotency. Core Principles of Solventless Extraction The primary solventless methods include ice-water agitation for bubble hash andheat-and-pressure application for rosin. In bubble hash production, fresh-frozen cannabismaterial is…
A new longitudinal study, published in the journal Nature: Scientific Reports, has found that the consumption of legal cannabis is associated with notable reductions in levels of daily anxiety, with 93.5% of participants reporting symptom relief.Researchers from Florida Gulf Coast University tracked 416 medical cannabis patients over 45 days, finding that cannabis demonstrated the largest anxiety relief when compared to other substances and activities, including alcohol, anxiolytic medication, exercise and meditation.The findings come as current anxiety treatments, such as benzodiazepines, face increasing scrutiny for harmful side effects and addiction risks.To be included in the study, participants had to be over…
The cannabis industry is in the midst of a worldwide revolution and is continuing to evolve from a patchwork of individual, siloed markets to an increasingly connected international web. That was already true, to a degree, before 2020. However, in late 2020, the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) voted to remove cannabis from Schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. It was a major milestone, with the CND finally recognizing the medicinal and therapeutic benefits of cannabis. More countries are allowing medical cannabis products to be imported and exported now than ever before, with Germany…
Alcohol causes more harm to society than any other drug in Canada, ranking far above tobacco, opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine and cannabis, according to a landmark scientific assessment published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.The study, led by researchers at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), marks the first time multi-criteria decision analysis has been used to assess drug harms across Canada comprehensively. A national panel of 20 experts from six provinces evaluated 16 of the most commonly used psychoactive substances across 16 types of harm, considering both damage to users and wider societal impacts.Alcohol received an overall harm score…
Psilocybin could be six times better at helping people abstain from smoking tobacco after six months than nicotine patches, according to the results of a recently published study conducted at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.The psychedelic drug, psilocybin, found in numerous species of mushrooms around the world, has long been investigated for its addiction-fighting qualities, leading researchers to conduct a pilot study to discover how effective it is at helping people abstain from smoking for a prolonged period of time when compared to nicotine patches, a standard smoking cessation treatment.Published in the journal JAMA Network Open,…
Many people focus on what to eat, how to exercise, or which supplements to take—but overlook one of the most important factors in overall wellness: whether the body is actually in a state where it can rest, reset, and function properly. Your body has two primary operating modes. One is designed for action and response. The other is designed for recovery, balance, and restoration. In today’s fast-paced world, many people spend far more time in the first—and not nearly enough in the second. This second mode is known as the parasympathetic state, and it plays a central role in how…
Ketamine use across Europe has surged nearly 41% in the past year, whilst MDMA detections have fallen 16% – the sharpest drop since pandemic lockdowns closed nightlife venues in 2020 – according to Europe’s largest wastewater drug study.The findings come from an annual monitoring project analysing wastewater from 115 cities across 25 countries, including TĂĽrkiye, Norway and 23 EU nations. Cocaine detections also rose 22%, continuing an upward trend that began in 2016.“Europe’s wastewater tells the story of a drug phenomenon that is widespread, varied and in constant flux,” said Dr Lorraine Nolan, EUDA Executive Director. “This year’s study, covering…
“UK cannabis clinics operate as drug dealers for the middle class.” That’s the view of Robin Murray, Professor of Psychiatric Research at King’s College London, in his response to a recent study of medical cannabis and mental health conditions.The paper Professor Murray is talking about, snappily entitled The efficacy and safety of cannabinoids for the treatment of mental disorders and substance use disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis, spread across media outlets worldwide. At home, The Guardian, ITV and others pounced on the findings, declaring that “Cannabis is not an effective treatment for common mental health conditions” and “Medical cannabis…