Maximum Yield Cannabis USA July/August 2021 | Page 20

canna FACTS
Food Network Launches Chopped 420
The Food Network recently launched a true “ high concept ” television series called Chopped 420 which is a spin-off of the popular Chopped series , in which four chefs battle it out through appetizer , main course , and dessert stages using picnic baskets filled with challenging foods . As the name of the new series suggests , it will explore cannabis cookery as a basket element . The host is comedian Ron Funches , and judges include chefs Esther Choi , Luke Reyes , and Sam Talbot , drag performer and cannabis activist Laganja Estranja , and comedian Tacarra Williams . The show started streaming on discovery + on April 20 . The new series will mark the “ first time in Chopped history ” that chefs will “ utilize cannabis to enhance their dishes ,” says Food Network president Courtney White . “ Viewers are in for a wild ride .” Contestants will vie for a $ 10,000 grand prize on Chopped 420 .
— cannabisculture . com
Cannabis Advocate Steve Fox Passes Away
Cannabis advocate and industry professional Steve Fox passed away suddenly in mid-April at the age of 53 . Fox was one of the first political professionals to enter the marijuana advocacy space . While most viewed it as a losing cause , he saw it as a cause worth fighting until it was won . And win he did — he spent nearly two decades fighting to end cannabis prohibition , and he played pivotal roles in several major state and federal reforms . He was also instrumental in the creation and development of the legal cannabis industry that is now replacing it . He led the drafting of Colorado Amendment 64 , which legalized adult-use cannabis in 2012 and set in motion the wave of state legislation across the U . S . Those who knew Fox describe him as an “ old soul ” with a knack for seeing things in a new light . He was strongly principled , deeply empathic , and fiercely kind . Fox ’ s cause of death was not released .
— MYC staff
Hemp Diseases Becoming More Well Known
As hemp begins to reemerge as an important crop in the U . S ., scientists are beginning research into the diseases that might prevent the crop from flourishing . A study published recently in Plant Health Progress is one of the first to examine the potential disease and disorder limitations for hemp production in the southeastern U . S . Lindsey Thiessen , a plant pathologist at North Carolina State University , worked with colleagues to evaluate hemp samples from North Carolina and observed 16 different diseases . They found Fusarium flower blight most consistently followed by Helminthosporium leaf spot . They also surveyed hemp producers who self-identified Fusarium species as the most common issue in their fields . “ Interestingly , diseases that are frequently reported in other hemp-producing regions in the western U . S . or worldwide , such as gray mold or powdery mildew , were not prominent diseases in our study ,” says Thiessen .
— phys . org
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