Texas Tries to Ruin Cannabis for Everyone, Once Again

If you have been following marijuana legalization and policy throughout the United States for any serious amount of time, then you are probably familiar with some states being very stubborn - particularly, the southern states and most conservative ones. Texas has been notoriously against the use of marijuana for quite some time.

Even medical marijuana patients are limited to marijuana strains and products with a THC cap at 1%, which is absolutely abysmal. How on earth are medical marijuana patients actually going to use cannabis to treat their medical conditions if they can’t even use THC? However, for residents that live in states with very restrictive medical marijuana programs, a new type of THC began to show promising signs for treating serious conditions and also existed as a loophole in the ban on THC products.

Delta-8 THC, which I have talked about many times in my previous posts, is technically legal under the federal government law, since it is considered to be derived from hemp. Consequently, Delta-8 gained serious popularity in places where standard THC products were banned, and it can come in the form of vapes, gummies, and whole flowers.

Yesterday I actually went out and bought a disposable vape cartridge with Delta-8 and Delta-19 THC, since normal THC where I live in Indiana is not legal. Anyways, Delta-8 gained enough popularity to the point that Texas lawmakers caught wind of it. Now, they are proposing to put the same ban on Delta-8 THC that they have on other THC products. For a state that loves to tout their free market and civilian rights, they sure do love to restrict people from using a natural drug like marijuana. It’s hard to believe how many people in Texas are living with serious medical conditions and do not even qualify for using a 1% THC product. In this article, I am going to spend some time talking about my least favorite state and why they are attacking Delta-8 THC products. 

It’s really hard to say exactly how much Delta-8 products were being sold in Texas in the last few months. While we know that smoke shops and vape shops were having a hard time keeping this type of THC in stock, we also know that Delta-8 could also be purchased over mail order and shipped with UPS. This means that it is really hard to know how much Delta-8 was shipped into the state without the lawmakers knowing. Like I said before, Delta-8 is technically considered to be derived from hemp, which makes it legal under federal law.

Basically, Texas wants to change the state’s definition of what is considered to be hemp so that they can ban the use of Delta-8 THC as well. Honestly, I really don’t know why Texas is going so hard in the paint to make all forms of THC illegal. Other states have great examples of well established and profitable medical marijuana programs, and people getting high occasionally is not going to crumble society in America as we know it. I guess my main question to Texas lawmakers is - why is this such a big deal to you? Now, I don’t expect any of them to read my articles, but I hope that what I write about at least gives you some insight into what goes on in Texas regarding cannabis policy and legislation. 

The worst part about all of this is that there has not been enough time to inform residents in Texas about law changes and Delta-8. This means that a lot of people could get caught with illegal forms of marijuana and not even know it.  

Time to Bust Myths About Chronic Pain - Medical Marijuana

Unless you or someone you know has dealt with chronic pain, you may not have a great understanding of just how debilitating it can be. Only within the last few decades has the medical community begun to take chronic pain seriously. The problem with chronic pain is that it can be hard to pinpoint exactly what is causing it or where the pain is stemming from. What this means is that some patients are not even believed when they report intense symptoms of pain over long periods of time.

Chronic pain is one of the many conditions that can be treated with medical marijuana, and I think that it is important to bring some attention to chronic pain in this post. More specifically, I wanted to address some common myths that surround conditions of chronic pain and what they mean for the medical users that suffer from this type of diagnosis.

Living with chronic pain day in and day out can be hard enough, but things take a turn for the worse if you are regularly told that your pain is “all in your head”. Imagine telling someone that? I simply do not understand. Anyways, here are some common misconceptions about chronic pain and why you should not believe them.

The first myth about chronic pain is that it is imagined. This is one that is extremely frustrating, yet surprisingly common for people with a chronic pain diagnosis. Of the many reasons for this, the most prominent one is that chronic pain can be unpredictable. Some days are better than others, meaning that one day a patient might only experience mild pain symptoms, while other days the pain is so severe that they can’t make it into work. Whatever the case is, it is important to remember that people do not simply imagine chronic pain.

Just because the pain can be hard to describe and pinpoint does not mean that it is made up. Additionally, patients with a chronic pain diagnosis do not really control their pain - instead, it controls them. That is why so many patients turn to heavy painkillers and opioids to try and find some relief from their pain. However, medical marijuana has been a great resource and alternative treatment option for people that are in severe pain. Plus, who doesn’t love getting high? I know that I do! Anyways, back to talking about chronic pain.

The next misconception about chronic pain that I want to talk about is that medical marijuana users must be high in order to relieve their pain symptoms. Contrary to what I just said in the last paragraph, many medical marijuana users do not rely on cannabis simply to get high. IN fact, most chronic pain patients do not want to become impared when using cannabis to control their pain levels. In fact, the myth that every medical marijuana user just wants to get high is what the people that want to keep medical marijauna illegal will tell you, but it is just not true.

Ask anyone who regularly deals with chronic pain. Many medical marijuana patients are simply looking to make their pain more manageable, not trying to land themselves on a different planet. Most patients want to find that perfect dosage that allows them some relief from their pain without feeling high and dumbed down all the time. I’m all for getting high now and then, but I cannot imagine being high every day. I feel like I wouldn’t be able to function well. 

The last myth that I want to talk about is that medical marijuana patients, specifically those with chronic pain, simply prefer to smoke cannabis. While smoking weed is a popular form of cannabis ingestion, it is by no means the only way.

Protecting Cannabis Concentrates

The battle to legalize medical marijuana in the United States has been a slow, uphill one. Many people would say that it has not been without its ups and downs. However, if we take a moment to reflect on the progress that has been made in our country regarding cannabis legalization and acceptance, we have come a long way in the course of a decade or so. 

Pretty much every state now, with the exception of a couple that shall remain nameless, have constructed some sort of medical marijuana program that gives patients with certain conditions the option to use legalized marijuana products. Of course, the fight for cannabis never ends. Many states that do have medical marijuana programs are still extremely restrictive with what types of products are allowed to be used, where they can be bought, and so forth. One of the many problems that are beginning to occur in various states is the potency of cannabis concentrates. 

After a state legalizes medical marijuana, the next step is to determine what type of products are allowed to be used, and the potency that they can have. Concentrates, for example, are basically just THC extracts that can be inhaled through a vape pen or such product. As the name suggests, these products are highly concentrated THC and are very potent. This means that marijuana patients only need to take one or two hits before they begin to feel its effects. But can this be a problem if not used properly? Well, that is the question that fuels the fire for banning high potency cannabis. 

You see, research suggests that there are safety concerns with using highly potent cannabis concentrates over a long period of time - and that is true. Concentrates are more potent with THC than any product ever has been before. Some products can even contain up to 65% or 80% THC - that is a lot! So there are some serious concerns among legislatures in several states that are looking to cap the potency allowed for marijuana concentrate products. 

While it is always a good idea to be cautious about how much THC one is ingesting at any given time, concentrates do offer great benefits to medical marijuana users. Firstly, using a vape or pen is more discreet and portable, and overall less complicated than trying to roll and smoke a joint, for example. Plus, for the medical marijuana patients that are dealing with severe chronic pain, high levels of THC in concentrated doses make the most sense in order to manage their symptoms. At any rate, this issue is up for debate in a lot of states. 

Washington, for example, which is renowned for being one of the most cannabis welcoming states, has introduced Bills to cap cannabis concentrates for sale at medical and adult-use dispensaries at 10% THC. People in opposition of this Bill feel that it is too low - 10% THC does not offer medical users the proper treatment that one seeks out marijuana usage for. Arizona has seen similar Bills attempt to cap all medical cannabis, including concentrates, flower, and tinctures, at a maximum of 2% THC. This is almost a slap in the face for anyone that actually uses marijuana. With 2% THC, you might as well not even be using marijuana anymore.

In any case, I think it is important to find a balance when it comes to using cannabis concentrates. I do not recommend using highly potent THC unless you absolutely have to for a medical condition. If you are someone using cannabis concentrate with 80% THC, you may need to rethink some things about your life.

Cannabis and Memory

Some people debate on how effective, safe, and harmful cannabis can be in some cases. There are some people who believe cannabis does cure everything, but some are more apprehensive of the effects medicinally that happen, and some of the side effects which are serious that occur. While there is a discussion that’s ongoing, some studies and research, along with some clinical trials, are definitely happy with the results that marijuana has on this. Many do believe that cannabis, especially when they have it in small amounts can definitely outweigh the risks that are there. 

Some people take too much though, and it can impact memory. There are cases where marijuana results in bad academic performances, addiction, and problems with memory and brain development. 

Cannabis is something that’s good for a lot of people, but it’s best that you don’t consume it until you’ve gotten a recommendation from a doctor, including the prescription, instructions, and the like, and you should not take this before talking to doctors. 

Cannabis and How it Affects Your Memory 

Some are still trying their best to learn about the interactions, but cannabis does instigate your brain, creating a problem with the way that we remember everything. There isn’t any correlation that does show how marijuana is linked to this, but too much THC can cause the brain to be excited, overworking it, and the functionality does start to become a problem. 

It also was found that in a lot of different studies that not every part of marijuana is very psychoactive. THC is great for this, and it is something that can cause the feeling of euphoria that goes with this. THC is of course, more psychoactive, while CBD usually isn’t, and usually, the balance of euphoria along with the CBD within can offer the feeling of being high, without creating the drowsiness and feeling too sedated either. 

Another study highlighted the ways that marijuana can help with memory and retention, and it can help especially those that are diagnosed with various diseases, and this of course has been something that a lot of researchers have looked at, and more research must be done to fully support this. 

Marijuana and Brain Conditions 

For those who have Alzheimer’s, this can actually improve the memory of the brain, and reducing some of the various symptoms that come with this. 

Remember as well that there are certain conditions as well that marijuana is able to improve, especially with impairing the brain functions too. It’s important to talk to a doctor that’s going to help you figure u the best amounts to use. Most of the time, when they’re choosing this, they look at the symptoms, your body, and the family history. They also may look at medical records, and the regime that’s there to offer recommendations, along with progress monitoring to help you with the consumption, and also reduce the intake if they see that it’s not working. It’s good to make sure that you work with a doctor on this, since of course, it can impact how you feel. 

It can of course, also diminish the capacity of the brains too, since if you take too much, you develop a tolerance, and it can deteriorate your ability to think and focus. Some people also take this with other drugs, creating more damage as a result of this. It’s something that most people have to realize, and right now, we’re still trying to understand the full ability that marijuana has. 

Remember, it’s all different, so make sure that if you take this, be mindful of effects.