As marijuana becomes legal across the country, a select few companies have come to dominate the market with some bad business practices. But Willie Nelson is trying to stop them.
Thirty-five years ago, as Willie was playing his music at Live Aid, a benefit concert for those affected by the famine in Ethiopia, he had the idea for a benefit concert that supports local farmers.
But Bob Geldof, the organizer of Live Aid at the time, thought that his proposal was a “crass, stupid, and nationalistic” conflation of the two issues. As Willie listened to him downplay the importance of farmers affected by a drought, bankruptcy, and a corporate takeover of the industry, it only solidified his desire to start his own concert, thus Farm Aid was born.
In their first year, Farm Aid included artists such as Johnny Cash and B.B. King and raised over $9 million for down-and-out American farmers.
“We were losing like 300 farmers a week” to suicide, Nelson recalls. “[But] things are a little better now. People have started thinking about buying and growing sustainably.”
Since Farm Aid began, a paradigm shift has occurred. People are now talking about sustainable agriculture, permaculture, and organic food, and the likes of Big Tobacco, Big Agriculture, and Big Biotech have become stains on American identity.
Willie Nelson was as much a player in this cultural shift as anybody, but he knows that the battle isn’t over yet. In recent years, Willie has set his sights on something very near and dear to him, marijuana.
As a life-long marijuana smoker, Willie Nelson has a deep concern about the way that cannabis is grown and distributed. Out of this passion for weed came the start-up company Willies Reserve, a company started by Willie and investor Andrew Davison that seeks to bring social responsibility into the pot market.
“I really believe in the environmental aspect of this. It’s a great way to revitalize small farms, and I want to make sure that any product we grow is as clean as we can make it and that, wherever possible, we’re trying to lower the environmental impact of our operations.’” – Andrew Davidson on Willie Nelson’s response to his proposal.
The legalization movement was founded on the values of justice, liberty, and health. Many people, often disproportionately black, have been thrown in jail for victimless crimes relating to cannabis. Although marijuana is now legal to smoke in many places, it is not always legal to grow or sell. In order to do so, you must get a medical permit, or a cannabis business license respectively, in which the government is handing out very few.
“It looks a lot like the concentration of capital that we have seen with Big Alcohol and Big Tobacco. I think that’s problematic for cannabis-law reformers, because it plays into our opposition’s strongest argument.” – Alison Holcomb, drafter of the original cannabis legalization law in Washington State
Big Pot has also begun using harmful pesticides, none of which cannabis activists and consumers ever desired to smoke. Prior to legalization, black market growers typically would not use any pesticides because the quantity of plants tended to be low.
“But when you’re investing millions of dollars in a large cultivation center, you can bet they are not going to take the risk of their crop getting wiped out by mold or mildew or insects.” – Keith Stroup, founder of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws
Oddly enough, there are no chemicals approved for use on the cannabis plant. This tends to mean however, that companies are using whichever chemicals they want without much oversight. These chemicals include Avid, Floramite, myclobutanil, and imidacloprid, which professor of entomology at Colorado State University Whitney Cranshaw claims actually develops more mites on the plants.
To make matters worse, labels such as “clean” and “natural” have a striking resemblance to the Big Food term “all natural,” in that there are few regulatory requirements resulting in meaningless labeling used solely to market products as less dangerous than they actually are.
Although Willie Nelson has recently announced his retirement as a weed smoker, he is still in charge of his company and is rumored to take edibles frequently. However, he has stated before that he “[doesn’t] like edibles that much.”
“I had a bad experience the first time I did it. This was 50 years ago. I ate a bunch of cookies, and I lay there all night thinking the flesh was falling off my bones.” – Willie Nelson
Willie’s Reserve empowers local farmers by allowing them the Willie Nelson branding in exchange for particular rules they must follow, such as restrictions on pesticide use and that they must be small companies. This ensures quality weed and empowers small businesses seeking to compete with the big names like Privateer Holdings and Diego Pellicer.
“They [consumers] want to know where the product comes from, they want to know it’s clean and cared for, they want to know it was local grown and that it has a connection to their community.” – Andrew Davidson
Willie has another enemy in the pot industry, GMO Marijuana. In one of the biggest moves to consolidate power in the cannabis industry to date, Bayer and Monsanto are maneuvering to take over the cannabis industry with genetically modified strains, which you can only grow if you have a license from the company.
“These problems could have been fixed on the first day, but you have a lot of bureaucracy and bullshit, a lot of big corporations. So that’s what we’re up against. They’re trying to monopolize it all. That’s horseshit. That ain’t right, and we’ll do everything we can to keep that from happening.” – Willie Nelson
Phillip Schneideris a student as well as a staff writer and assistant editor for Waking Times. If you would like to see more of his work, you can visit his website, or follow him on the free speech social network Minds.
In doing this product review on Two Bears Hemp pre-rolls, I must say I have many reservations and apprehensions on why the hemp / cannabis industry is moving towards Hemp pre-rolled smokes when it seems clearly, much of the world is moving away from this…And it’s a multi-verse world, all things seems to good for some! Who knew I’d find 13 tasty reasons hemp pre-rolls are worth the smoke…
I’m hesitant because I gave up ‘cigarette smoking’ a while back and I then I realize, I do inhale smoke of MMj from time to time, so who am I fooling, smoke without chemicals has been going on since the beginning of time, it seems…so now, I’m good with this! I’m very curious about the difference in taste and feel, not only from herbalMMJ but from tobacco as well. AND, mainly for research and feedback for you our inquisitive readers who’d like to know if these are good enough to give them a smoke. I’m sure, like everything, all brands are different – I’m trying Two Bears Farm, from Durango Colorado.
As I am tasting this delicious Hemp Flower with Lavender pre-roll smoke, here’s what I’m discovering and experiencing to my suprise.
The pre-roll is tightly rolled like a 1 gram smokable joint with a non-filter cardboard tip.
It lights easily and smokes with an even burn, very smooth.
The taste of this one, Hemp Flower with Lavender is somewhat light, sweet and smooth, yet still strong enough to let me feel the inhale – which most smokers desire!
This burns very slowly, not going out right away so I can lay it down for a bit wile I’m writing, and when I pick it up, no worry about re-lighting constantly.
Definitely taste better than an American Spirit AND I feel better about inhaling this – no chemicals at all – pure organic Two Bears Hemp!
What’s most excellent is that these do not have the smell of cigs at all, from the burning chemicals. This is huge for those wanting the feeling of smoking but know cigarettes are so smelly and disruptive in today’s world, mainly because of all the chemicals they have.
Now that I’ve taken 4 or 5 puffs, I do feel kind of’a relaxed euphoria, not high or any feeling associated with MMJ smoking, however I do feel slightly different, in a good way.
Shared this with my non-smoking friend, he appreciated first that it did not smell like MMJ or tobacco. Next he noticed the slightly aroma test, coming from the Lavender in the one we’re sampling. Now, in 10 minutes he’s reporting a kind of euphoric, relaxed feeling – ‘comfortable’, he’s smiling. He took three puffs and yes, he did inhale…lol
Now I’m trying the plain 100% flower that I already smoked yesterday. I must have smoked this same preroll at three separate times, and still only smoked a third of it. Relighting this feels just as smooth as when I first lit it. Not like smoking that harsh taste of a re-lit cig…I actually like the taste and feel of this, very natural.
Shared this with my friend again, he’s a nutritionist who has never smoked tobacco and does not like it! He has smoked MMJ, so there’s that. Again, he appreciated the fact of no chemical nasty smell of cigs around and felt this Hemp Smoke was smoother than MMJ. ‘interestingly’ he said, ‘this gave him a heightened state-of-well-being feeling’. Sweet!
I’ve now left the non burning hemp smoke in the ashtray, left the room and came back – no disgusting smell from the ashtray.
Did I mention these Hemp smokes, aka pre-rolls come packaged in a glass cylinder with a screw on cap. This is perfect because it’s labeled and easy to explain, this is not MMJ, if we must. Also, they’re perfect because you may end up puffing on the same smoke 4, 5, 6 times and this little carrying cylinder is locksolid with no order. And when the cap comes off, I was very surprised to notice, as I tried to, there was little to no odor at all.
Something else has crossed my mind about this. For those who are wanting to quit smoking cigarettes or cut down on smoking herb, MMJ, I would venture to say for me, these Hemp pre-rolls, aka smokes could be a great replacement.
As I mentioned who knew I’d find 13 tasty reasons hemp pre-rolls are worth the smoke… All in all I’m a fan and even look forward to smoking these very tasty Two Bears Hemp Smokes…
Benefits according to Two Bears The benefits are instant Cannabinoids and Terpenes to the body. Since we grow legal hemp, our delta 9 THC content is less than .03% . Their hemp flower was grown with care and organic nutrients and then slow cured to preserve the terpenes (which are a very high percentage at 4%). They are dried in a humidity controlled environment to ensure no mold growth. The plants are grown and cured similar to MJ.
The effects are reduction in inflammation and a possible shift in energy towards relaxation, though it could also be uplifting to some.
Hemp Pre-Rolls
Available In The Following Strains
Cherry Blossom, T1 x Berry Blossom, Cherry Wine, Berry Blossom, Tokyo x Berry Blossom, PM x Berry Blossom, Tokyo x Abacus, T1 x Space Candy, and The Wife
COST – 1 gram – $5 to $10 Depending on Quantity
About TWO BEARS FARM
Founded by Marine Corp veteran, Sara Sheeler in Durango, CO, many of the 20 people on staff are also veterans or folks who deserved a hand up. In our 3rd year of production, Two Bears Hemp Farm has high standards in our conscious & organic practices to care for the hemp plants. By creating abundant, living soil, there’s no need for harsh chemicals. Established in 2017, we have recognized the trials and tribulations of the pioneers that farmed before us. We honor the plant through sacred practices and believe we have what it takes to make it to your doorstep. Our premium hemp is appreciated by people of all backgrounds.
Nevada has passed a bill telling employers that they can no longer refuse to hire workers on the basis of their testing positive for cannabis.
In a move that could blaze a small but important trail for workers’ rights across the U.S., Nevada has passed a bill telling employers and state agencies that they can no longer refuse to hire workers on the basis of their testing positive for cannabis. It’s a long way to come for a state that was once infamous for its notoriously strong prohibitionist laws penalizing those in possession of marijuana.
Last week, Governor Steve Sisolak signed AB 132, which prohibits the denial of employment to cannabis consumers after drug pre-screenings. Advocates are hailing the passage of the bill because it finally clears a major gap in the law between states that have rendered marijuana totally legal for medical or recreational purposes and those U.S. companies that try to block their workers from toking up at all.
In Nevada, as in the other several states that have made recreational cannabis legal across the country, employers were still able to turn people away from jobs if they failed the “whizz quiz,” or urine-based drug tests. NFL playersseeking to recover from the intense physical pressures of football are unable to use cannabis-based remedies, doctors have lost their licenses for using medicinal cannabis, and 48 percent of businesses in otherwise weed-friendly Colorado have “well-defined” rules that allow them to fire employees if marijuana is detected in a worker’s test results.
However, a number of provisions in the bill complicate matters. Safety-sensitive positions including first responders such as firefighters and EMTs, doctors, transportation and construction workers are exempt from the bill, as are workers who belong to collective bargaining agreements—which bars union workers who are extant across numerous industries in Nevada, according toMerry Jane. Additionally, federal law demands that workers like truck drivers must take drug tests.
Paul Enos, the chief executive of the Nevada Trucking Association who helped ensure revisions to the law that would allow safety exemptions for certain workers, told the Washington Post:
“We want to make sure we have safety conscious individuals … The bill gives employers a tremendous amount of discretion to determine whether or not the position they are hiring for could impact the safety of others … They can still use positive tests for marijuana to deny the job.”
The law has come a long way since it was introduced, with some employers accusing state politicians of allowing workers to blaze it up while on the clock.
Lead sponsor of AB 132 and Democratic Assemblywoman Dina Neal said during a hearing for the bill in February:
“There is nothing in AB132 that prevents an employer from having a policy prohibiting the possession or use of marijuana at the workplace … The bill does not get into violating the [federal] supremacy clause or get into the business of usurping federal law and preventing rights of federal employees.”
Yet Madisen Saglibene, the executive director of the Nevada and Las Vegas chapters of NORML, worked hard alongside legislators to ensure the bill’s passage in the face of opposition from industry representatives and politicians like Ellen Spiegel, chair of the Commerce and Labor committee.
Saglibene toldVICE that the troubling provisions in the bill were a result of compromises necessary to pass the bill, explaining:
“It was hated … It was one of those things where we were meeting with legislators and they were like, Absolutely not. We are not taking away employers’ right to hire who they want.”
But thanks to Neal, who held meetings with all parties interested in the bill, a compromise was finally met. Saglibene said:
“By the time it was having its final public comments, most of the stakeholders who were initially against it testified as neutral … which is saying a lot, actually, considering they were so vehemently opposed.”
Gov. Sisolak has also signed Assembly Bill 192, which provides for a process through which individuals can petition to have their criminal records sealed if their conviction was for offenses that were eventually decriminalized, such as for a cannabis conviction.
Saglibene remains optimistic about the prospects of the AB 132, which opens the door to similar—and perhaps stronger—legislation across the country. Acknowledging that there is still work ahead, she noted:
“We’re very pleased … This isn’t the end-all-be-all but this is absolutely a step in the right direction.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 08, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — via OTC PR WIRE — The Yield Growth Corp. (CSE: BOSS) (OTCQB: BOSQF) (FSE: YG3) is pleased to announce that the Urban Juve Skin Awakening Anti-aging Serum is featured in the November issue of Vanity Fair UK, which is now available on newsstands. The latest product feature follows other high-quality beauty and lifestyle publications that included Urban Juve products, such as British Vogue and Elle Canada.
Vanity Fair UK has sophisticated and highly affluent readers. The feature in Vanity Fair UK includes Urban Juve in its beauty showcase called “The Vanity Box,” showcasing a range of handpicked luxury beauty products all perfectly suited to its affluent readers. The November issue of Vanity Fair UK, which is a special edition on art featuring superstar Joaquin Phoenix on the cover, is now available on newsstands.
Jefferies LLC estimates in an April 23, 2019 research report, could be a $25 billion CBD beauty industry in 10 years. It has been rapidly expanding distribution of its Urban Juve hemp powered luxury skin care line through Canada, the U.S., South America and Europe and is expected to launch its full line of products in Europe within a few months. It is launching a full line of CBD and THC topical products under the Wright & Well brand in the U.S. this month.
According to Adroit Market Research, “Large scale retailers have stepped in to support the CBD industry, post the introduction of the 2018 Farm Bill. Since January 2019, Neiman Marcus initiated introducing a wide range of CBD infused products in its stores, sourced from the leading brands. Recently, Sephora announced the introduction of a CBD section in their stores. Key beverages company Coca Cola announced its interest in CBD beverages. Target also invested in a limited-time offer of CBD oil.”
The Skin Awakening Anti-aging Serum is one of Urban Juve’s most popular products. Inspired by Ayurveda, an ancient mind-body-spirit healing system, the serum deeply nourishes and rejuvenates skin. Like all Urban Juve products, it’s made with clean, natural ingredients.
“Sea buckthorn oil is rich in minerals, antioxidants, fatty acids and plant sterols that help to nourish the skin,” says Bhavna Solecki, Director of Product Development for Urban Juve. “Hemp root oil, which we derive from the cannabis plant helps boost transdermal absorption. This serum helps smooth fine lines and prevents signs of aging and the plant-derived hyaluronic acid makes skin appear more plump and hydrated.”
Most reading this article may agree by now, the Cannabis Industry could be ‘the answer’ for planetary wellness, environmental enhancement and economic freedom.
ThinkingOutLoud… Darlene Mea CEO/Founder hempingtonPost.com
‘At some point our political leaders, big brother, the petrochemical industrial complex and all the others takers of this planet will get the point: No Planet = No Profit! ‘
Our world is at the tipping point of complete chaos, depletion and extinction of everything real and meaningful. We are still using and promoting a petrochemical synthetic world with the notion that tomorrow will continue to thrive if we stay on this trajectory… and not one candidate addresses this most important primary issue.
No one is talking about what we’re actually going to do to improve the environment, climate change, economics and wellness for all people. Who’s talking about: A WORLD BEYOND PETROLEUM?…No one!!! Cannabis has been around for eons and 12,000 of recorded history, yet no one is talking about the power of it’s epic reemergence and why it leads to sustainable living! The simplicity of an agricultural revolution to supplant petroleum is at the fingertips of multinational corporations.
Already the marijuana industry is bringing in billions. The global market for medicinal cannabis was worth approximately $11 billion in 2015, and is expected to reach $56 billion by 2025, according to market research firm Grand View Research. Yet the growers and dispensaries are still at the risk of being an all cash business with no banking privileges because Marijuana, even though legal, is still federally categorized as a Schedule 1 drug, which makes it illegal and incompatible with all Federal systems.
Cannabis/Marijuana has proven to be amazing medicine for thousands of years. Did you know the U.S. government with the National Institution of Health, NIH has funded Mechoulam research for the past 50 yearsto Israel. The National Institute of Health has provided an average of $100,000 a year to study the medicinal benefits of cannabis.
While our government has been giving life sentences Marijuana possession, it is giving money to Israel to study the benefits of the plant. it’s crazy and wrong…Even now with all it’s healing properties, marijuana/cannabis is still shunned by many states due to belief in old propaganda created for and from the petrochemical industrial complex.
The history of cannabis is convoluted. I encourage you to read Doug Fine’s Hemp Bound, or to see Jack Herer’s The Emperor Wears No Clothes and Hemp for Victory, You will see the ban of this plant was never about marijuana. The ‘Cannabis take away’ was about the massive industrial use of hemp when the decorticator was introduced in America, 1937, Popular Mechanics Magazine! They called it then the Next Billion Crop. That’s when it all changed! – it’s fascinating and aggravating how legality was manipulated by powerful business entities. This intervention for profit is in effect today.
Now after 77 years, as stated in the ‘TAX LAW of 1937’, cannabis comes back for reinstatement. In 2014 the New Farm Bill was signed by President Obama, and the Cannabis Plant was now up for study? However, it has been studied for centuries.
Hemp is already the environmental, economics and wellness answer; it has no bad side effects. Yes, for the FDA, food and drug, CBD, skin care, superfoods can be kept with the thc low and keep it regulated for the assurance of all who still fear the plant. But why destroy a farmers ‘hot crop’, over 0.3% thc? Any ‘hot crop’ could become a hemp home, plastic, hemp wood, paper, shoes, graphite, biofuel, why destroy it.
Because our country has become a corporate run state, it would be natural for a petrochemical mogul to take over massive hemp production and the secondary creation of industrial processing required to form a viable industry. According to this model, the Hemp economy will come into fruition when petrochemical products become increasingly less profitable. Ideally, they can turn their energies on bringing US back to a life-sustaining world again.
Please take the credit and make the big bucks. This may be our only hope for the future. Currently the hemp growers are focused on the medical model, as they cross their fingers and hope that the secondary terpenes are isolated and popularized so they can make their hard work pay off.
Our planet can no longer sustain balance. We call upon a petrochemical giant to pull us forward with profiteering visions of Hemp Industry domination. We invite that. Please save us from our undercapitalized efforts to transform a wonderful beneficial plant into a panoply of life giving products and effects. Please step up and grab hold of the Hemp Industry with corporate zeal. Let the world benefit from your greed for profits. The time is now, please.
FREE THE PLANT. Insist on THC limit changes for our upcoming 2020 election. Let our farmers grow, grow and grow. We have no more time to study this ancient miracle plant !
Get involved – write or call your elected officials and tell them, You will have our Vote only if you publically strongly support making Cannabis Legal. With this we can green our world and turn life around for all.
Join us at HempingtonPost.com where our mission is ‘We the People insist on our human rights…Together We Grow! We all know by now, Big Business is about profit, but with our world in serious disserey we say, NO PLANET, NO PROFIT!
The room was buzzing at the National Industrial Hemp Council (NIHC) Event in Portland OR, this month of August 2019.
Conversations with attendees from all over the world, on and off stage was the explosion of Hemp beyond CBD. How refreshing to know that those who have educated themselves in this arena know, Hemp/Cannabis will be the ‘what’ that saves all of us with its emerging multi-billion dollar industry, way beyond CBD. Hemp is the next Industrial economic, environmental and wellness evolution.
The presenters covered everything from Hemp Farming to Hemp Banking along with all the many facets Hemp can grow in; textiles, biofuel, plastic, paper, hemp buildings, clothing, automotive, any thing petrochemical can be made with hemp.
It seems the larger companies from around the world are seeing the writing on the wall. CBD is the small corner stone to bring Hemp medicine back into the world. In the meantime on a much grander scale there’s the entire industrial hemp industry about to blossom in our country!
NIHC had some excellent speakers and presenters. Among them was the Honorable Jeff Merkley, US Senator for the State of Oregon; Jay Noller, Director and Lead Researcher at Oregon State University’s Global Hemp Innovation Center; Greg Ibach, US Department of Agriculture; Kate Greeberg, Colorado Department of Agriculture; Ed Elfmann, Agricultural Policy for the America Bankers Association; Lowell Schiller JD, Commissioner, Policy of the Food and Drug Association.
NIHC – Aligning Your Marketing with Hemp Production
THE .03% HEMP LAW
It seems the policy makers are under many guidelines they must adhere too that truly need adjustments and as we know, everything in the bureaucratic world moves very slowly. Example, the .03% THC is the definition of legalized Hemp. This .03% seems to be an arbitrary number that would satisfy the FDA for food and drug products in the Hemp arena. However the question comes up over and over, what happens if a farmer grows ‘hot’ and the THC exceeds .03%? The answer right now is, the crop must be destroyed! Which is why Farmers Insurance has been created!
For many of us, especially women (just sayin), because we like to think beyond ‘what is’, why does it matter if the Hemp crop is hot at .06% or even 10%? This ‘hot’ hemp crop would be perfect for HempCrete, Hemp shoes, Hemp Biofuels, Hemp Plastics, Hemp Textiles and so many more hemp industrial uses. Why would FDA care what percentage a hemp tennis shoe or hemp graphite, or biofuel is? Why do we need to pay such close attention to the THC level if it is not a food or drug? Those questions were asked and no real answer came from it. What was said regarding the .03% Hemp Law is ‘this is what Congress has made Law, therefore it’s what it is and where we’re at right now’. My response was, ‘However, how does a farmer put their life on the line financially, knowing if not perfect, they could lose a lot? Why not allow this hemp to produce the rest of the mega Hemp Industry?’ The response from the Honorable Jeff Merkley, US Senator for the State of Oregon, ‘everything takes time’ – my response, ‘we need to start pushing for this now, with Climate Change happening, time is not on our side!’
Women of Vision –
I do want to acknowledge the women who spoke and presented in their earnestness and factual materials. Brie Abramowicz of Phylos.; Amy Ansel, and Tanya Hart of TITANBioPlastics.com and Lucy Infeld of Beveridge&Diamond and many more women I met off the stage. Marylou Burton of the Cannabis Collaborative Conference, CCC-CON.com Gina Kolhage of Cannabiz Journal Cannabizjournal.com, TanyaHeart of TITANHEMP, TitanHemp.net, Ptricia Sheikh, Roots of Peace, Roots of Peace.org, Dr Jamie Green, ThinkandGrowFrams – ThinkandGrowFrams.com.
I’m acknowledging these three women because of the deep care and commitment to what’s right for our world and our people right now They all seem to agree, time is of the essence today for tomorrow’s sustainable world to grow!
I am grateful to be have attended NIHC 2019 Hemp Business Summit in Portland.
ABOUT NIHC is for the Awareness, Growth and Integrity of the Industry.
We promote public awareness and understanding of industrial hemp and hemp industry.
We promote the sustainable long term growth and profitability of the industry
We provide a strong, unified voice on legislative, regulatory and policy issues that affect the hemp businesses.
We protect and enhance the integrity of the hemp industry.
NIHC is a network of organizations available as a resource for industry and consumers to learn more about the availability, applicability, and proven benefits for hemp and its derivatives.
I highly encourage those of you who earnestly wants to see change in the laws of this mega industry begin going to HEMP Events and make your voice heard. It’s amazing how many people came to me afterwards and thanked me for asking the questions that, ‘needed to be asked’. As a journalist and a huge activist of the Hemp world, there’s no way I can not ask these questions. The full legalization of the cannabis plant will be the greatest change our entire planet could benefit from. Game is on, get involved, it’ll make a world of difference!
