Cannabis and Intimacy

Did you know that couples who smoke together have more orgasms?

This is due to a few reasons according to a recent article by EliteDaily.com :

It help females orgasm and  It intensifies Orgasms, “That CB1 receptor seems to be involved in improved tactile sensations and general euphoria.”

It can relieve sexual tension, “When regular smokers choose to light up before getting it on... it will usually lead to decreased sexual anxiety.”

It can strengthen the bond between lovers, Like with anything that two people can do together – getting high with one another can bring lovers together on a more passionate plane... “feelings of communion between weed-smoking partners can be more profound than mere sexual sensation.”

Read Elite's full article HERE.

Weed, pot, bud, Mary Jane - The Etymology Of Marijuana Slang

Yes, weed is apparently the broadly hippest current term for marijuana, that venerable fount of slang. "Marijuana" is an anglicized, which means the conversion into an English form, term of the Spanish words "marihuana" or "marijguana," which identify the cannabis plant. The English knew this plant as "hemp." According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the debate over the use of the drug in the US in the 1930s attributed to "marijuana" being the “exotic alternative to the familiar words hemp and cannabis.”

Because of the controversy surrounding marijuana during that era, many other slang terms were birthed around the same time. American Speech included ‘weed’ in 1929’s “Among the New Words,” defined as a “marijuana cigarette.” Just a few years later, the Chicago Defender reported using the word "reefer." And we can all remember 1936’s Reefer Madness to illustrate that history.

In Google Books searches confined to 2013 publications, smoke marijuana pops up 69 times, smoke pot 94 times, and smoke weed 149 times.Why the recent weed dominance? It seems clear to me that it's a generational thing. In the 1990s, a new generation of users wanted to distance themselves from their parents' dope or pot (the latter dates from the 1930s and apparently originated in African-American slang). Weed was already in the lexicon, and provided a nice implicit variation on the hippie-ish grass.

So which term is the most popular nowadays? According to the Google chart displaying the frequency of various cannabis slang terms used in American publications in the past 50 years, "weed" is the only term to actually be increasing in recent use. (=Also interesting is how rapid the rise in popularity of "pot" and "marijuana" were in the 1960s. To back that claim, in a Google Books search on the year 2013, results used the term "smoke marijuana" 69 times, "smoke pot" 94 times, and "smoke weed" 149 times. Not to mention that Urban Dictionary has over 225 separate definitions for just "weed." Slate attributes the popularity of "weed’ over other slang terms to how casual the word is, since it has already has another meaning as well – those unwanted plants in your yard. Using "weed" is simple and easy compared to "cannabis" or "ganja." Also contributing is a generational evolution, “In the 1990s, a new generation of users wanted to distance themselves from their parents’ dope or pot.

To read more about the etymology of cannabis slang, here are the links to the original HighTimes and Slate articles.

And here is the link to Leafly's Glossary of Cannabis Terms.

CBD and THC Effects and Ratios

Research on the benefits of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) in isolation is well established. THC demonstrates analgesic, anti-emetic, and anti-inflammatory properties, whereas CBD possesses anti-psychotic, anti-seizure, and anti-anxiety properties.

However, research on the simultaneous use of THC:CBD is less robust – its origins can be traced to Brazil in the mid-1970s. In this study, patients were given between 15-60mg of CBD in conjunction with 30mg of THC, and the effects were measured. Subjects reported more pleasurable effects and less anxiety with the combination of CBD and THC than they felt with THC alone.

Furthermore, a group of scientists examined the effects of administering CBD at a dose six times that of THC. They found that 73% of study participants reported a decreased feeling of being “high” when compared to THC alone.

Follow-up studies have demonstrated that the combination of the two cannabinoids reduced users’ experiences of tachycardia (increased heart rate), gait instability, and difficulty in eye tracking exercises. These results support the theory that CBD works to minimize some of the negative side effects of THC.

The most recent research into THC:CBD ratios comes out of the pharmaceutical industry, specifically around the GW Pharmaceuticals‘ Sativex, which has a 1:1 ratio of THC and CBD. In the clinical trials phase of drug development, researchers examined the effects of THC, CBD, and combination extracts on sleep, pain control, and muscle spasms. They found that 1:1 THC-CBD extracts provided the most therapeutic relief across all categories.

Click HERE to read the full article.

"If you have to use pesticides...you're doing it wrong."

Oregon on Monday issued a list of more than 250 pesticides cannabis growers may be able to use on their crops. The list represents the first clear guidance from Oregon agriculture officials on what chemicals the state's marijuana industry may use to defeat mites, mold, mildew and other common pests and problems. Top state agriculture officials made clear that the list is a "starting spot" for marijuana growers, who still have to follow pesticide labels. Lauren Henderson, assistant director of the agency, said regulators combed through more than 12,000 pesticides registered with the state to see which had labels broad enough to include cannabis. Ultimately, the agency came up with about 250 products. The list will be reviewed quarterly, said Henderson.

Aviv Hadar, an owner of Oregrown, a dispensary in downtown Bend, said growers shouldn't use pesticides at all.

"If you have to use pesticides," he said in a text message to The Oregonian/OregonLive, "you're doing it wrong."

But it's clear many do. Though Oregon mandates pesticide testing for marijuana, a combination of lax state rules, inconsistent lab practices and inaccurate test results has allowed pesticide-laced products to enter the medical marijuana market, an investigation last year by The Oregonian/OregonLive found.

Rodger Voelker, a chemist at OG Analytical, a marijuana testing lab in Eugene, said Oregon's list doesn't include some of the more common pesticides he sees in cannabis that comes through his lab.

He also said growers will have to figure out how to safely apply the chemicals on the state's list. Some are included in state-mandated lab testing. That means growers may be able to apply the chemical to their crop, but the product will have to test below a certain level before it lands on store shelves.

Click HERE to read the full article.

Application is in!

Today was the first official day that the Oregon cannabis industry was able to start applying for licenses, and ours is in! #LEGALIZEDIT #HIGHINTHEHOOD

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We will be releasing  Purple Wreck and Blue Ox this week! Hood River grown!

Trust your Bud- Gorge Greenery is Pesticide Free!

While this article was released in June earlier this year, it's come to our attention that many medical patients and recreational users alike are unaware of the serious risk of pesticides in Cannabis flower and products. Here at Gorge Greenery, we carry Clean Green Certified gardens and send everything out to OG Analytical (one of the trusted labs used in this study), for the most comprehensive pesticide screening capabilities in Oregon to ensure clean product every time.

"Dab Society Dutch Treat, a potent cannabis extract sold to medical marijuana patients, sailed through state-mandated pesticide testing. The results were printed on the label, backed by an official report. Workers at a Southeast Portland dispensary were happy to share the lab certificate. All you had to do was ask.

But, in fact, two laboratories commissioned by The Oregonian/OregonLive found pesticides in the same sample of Dutch Treat at levels above what the state allows.

It wasn’t an isolated case.

A combination of lax state rules, inconsistent lab practices and inaccurate test results has allowed pesticide-laced products to enter the medical marijuana market, The Oregonian/OregonLive has found.

Marijuana that fails a pesticide screen is not supposed to be sold to patients. But two other cannabis products in addition to Dutch Treat also tested above acceptable levels for pesticides.

The Oregonian/OregonLive shopped at Oregon dispensaries, bought cannabis that had passed pesticide tests and sent the samples to independent labs for further screening. Two labs performed the analysis: OG Analytical, a marijuana testing lab in Eugene, and Pacific Agricultural Laboratory, a Portland lab that specializes in detecting pesticides on foods and agricultural commodities. Both confirmed in blind testing the presence of pesticides that should have triggered red flags from previous labs."

Read the full article from The Oregonian/OregonLive HERE.

Sustainability-Driven Entrepreneurs

Right now “sustainability” still means pushing back against business as usual. As a young sustainability professional, I wanted to further explore the characteristics of successful sustainability-driven entrepreneurs.

1. Sustainable DNA

They make sure sustainability is baked into their business model. Over 1,300 companies have met B-Lab’s requirements and are officially recognized as a Certified B Corporation. According to B-Lab, “By voluntarily meeting higher standards of transparency, accountability, and performance, Certified B Corps are distinguishing themselves in a cluttered marketplace by offering a positive vision of a better way to do business.” There are also 1,200 companies have partnered with 1% for the Planet to donate one percent of their net annual sales to non-profit organizations working to tackle environmental challenges. Whether sustainability-driven entrepreneurs get official certifications and partner with big networks or just participate in similar practices without official recognitions, they always make sure they are having a positive impact on the economy, environment, and community.

2. Compassionate

Earlier this year, The Washington Post reported on a German study that found, “heightened sensitivity to the suffering of other people” is a major “emotional and personality-based driver of environmental attitudes.” Since systematically improving the way we treat communities is a major part of sustainability, it makes sense that the people who choose to work in the field also tend to be mindful of how they personally treat the individuals around them, which makes for great coworkers.

3. Highly Motivated

Sustainable entrepreneurship isn’t something people usually get into unless they are truly passionate about the issues. They believe in their vision for how much better the world could be and have an insatiable need to keep working towards it, even with the knowledge that they may not live to see it come to fruition. Because as anyone in the business of improving the world knows—it is an ongoing process, not a destination.

4. Resilient

Working towards sustainability is inherently emotional work, and because it requires going against the status quo it is filled with roadblocks and naysayers. Successful sustainability-driven entrepreneurs must have strong emotional awareness and they develop strategies to help them keep moving forward when the world tries to burn them out. In an interview with Net Impact Adam Hammes, sustainability professional and author, cited high emotional intelligence as the most important skill successful sustainability professionals possess. He said, “Without the soft skills of dealing with interpersonal struggles, the hard skills will never be put to use. You will get overwhelmed and burn out. Once you have developed emotional intelligence and soft skills, it is also helpful to then know your strategy – to save time and energy – and know your audience – to frame your approach in ways that make it well-received.“

5. Holistic Approach

Successful sustainability-driven entrepreneurs know the importance of approaching their work systematically. They make sure their actions truly match their philosophy and that they are making the intended impact on their surroundings. For example, a if a sustainability-driven restaurant owner uses compostable food packaging, then they make sure there is an appropriate and user-friendly disposal system in place.

*Source:  http://www.purelabels.com/

Senate Approved Funding Bill Allowing Medical Marijuana for Veterans

Just in time for Veterans Day, the Senate passed the Fiscal Year 2016 Military Construction and Veteran Affairs (MilCon-VA) Appropriations Bill, which will include a stipulation for the first time ever to allow doctors in the Veterans Administration to recommend medical marijuana to their patients in states where it is legal.

This is not the first time that Congress has tried to gain medical cannabis access for veterans. Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) of the House of Representatives has introduced the Veterans Equal Access Act not once, but twice in the past two years, only for the bill to stall in the Subcommittee on Health. This time, the bipartisan amendment was introduced by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) and was included in the Senate Appropriations committee this past May.

Having passed through the Senate Appropriations Committee with an 18-12 vote, the funding bill will now be included and negotiated as part of a more comprehensive omnibus spending bill to determine federal funding for the next fiscal year. A version of the Daines-Merkley amendment was included as an extension of the much-lauded CARERS Act, and although the bill has generated bipartisan interest and gained numerous sponsors from both sides of the aisle, Congress has not taken action towards passing it.

Allowing veterans access to medical marijuana has proved to be controversial in the past, despite evidence that cannabis can help alleviate many severe symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which affects nearly 31 percent of Vietnam veterans and as much as 11 percent of veterans of the Gulf War and war efforts in Afghanistan.

Veterans, we salute your service, and we are grateful to see Congress offering a token of gratitude for the soldiers who risk their lives for our peace of mind.