Subscriptions - Maximum Yield Cannabis USA September/October 2020 | Page 22

canna
FACTS
Why is Cannabis a Schedule I Drug?
Ever wonder why cannabis is a Schedule I drug in the U.S.,
alongside heroin? Thank former President Richard Nixon,
who established the Drug Enforcement Administration
(DEA) in 1973 to consolidate the federal government’s
efforts in “a full-scale attack on the problem of drug
abuse in America.” He deemed it a national emergency
and gave oversight of the anti-drug efforts to the attorney
general, John Mitchell. Mitchell created a “schedule” of drugs
as part of the Controlled Substances Act in 1970. Mitchell, who was
disgraced during the Watergate scandal, included marijuana on the
list of drugs with no medical benefit and a high probability of abuse
and addiction. Congress approved, and that’s the way it’s been ever
since. Interestingly, cannabis was listed as a legal medicine in America
up until 1942. Now 11 states, plus D.C., have legalized recreational and
medicinal cannabis, with another 22 states having legal MMJ.
— greenentrepreneur.com
Cannabis Boosts Tourism in Legal States
Colorado and Washington State hotel room rentals increased considerably
after the states began legal marijuana sales, a newly published study
shows. The two states were the first in America to allow adult-use cannabis
in 2012. By comparing hotel room rentals in Colorado and Washington with
states that did not change their legal status of marijuana from 2011 through
2015, researchers found that legalization coincided with a significant
influx of tourists and an increase in hotel revenue. The impact was even
more pronounced after the start of retail sales. In Colorado, legalizing
possession led to monthly hotel booking increases of 2.5 to 4 percent,
depending on the modeling method used. Once retail stores opened,
bookings increased by 6 to 7.2 percent. In Washington, the increases were
roughly half that. The study, “(Pot)Heads in Beds: The Effect of Marijuana
Legalization on Hotel Occupancy in Colorado and Washington,” was
published in The Journal of Regional Policy and Analysis.
— marijuanamoment.net
Can Cannabis Help You Lose Weight?
Despite notions to the contrary, there is a growing body of evidence
demonstrating how marijuana might help defend our bodies against excessive
weight gain, despite its munchie-inducing properties. Studies have shown
that regular cannabis users often have a lower body mass index (BMI), smaller
waists, and lower fasting insulin levels — all the makings
of weight loss. The U.S. government recently granted
nearly $2 million to the University of California, Riverside
(UCR), to learn how weed may help solve the American
weight problem. “Our work, which will be done on a mouse
model, will support the discovery and development of novel
therapeutic strategies to safely treat obesity and related metabolic
disorders,” says Nicholas DiPatrizio, an assistant professor of biomedical
sciences at UCR. A recent Michigan State University study showed
cannabis users are more likely to maintain a healthy weight than non-users.
There wasn’t a significant difference — around five percent — but there was
something there showing how cannabinoids play a role in keeping us trim.
— thefreshtoast.com
22
Maximum Yield