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Monthly Archives: September 2017

The evolution of California’s seed-to-sale movement

As the cannabis landscape continues to rapidly evolve, California is seeing both industry members and consumers shift their focus toward a new set of standards. With the populace voting in favor of legalizing adult recreational use of cannabis in November 2016, people are buzzing with conversations and opinions around this booming marketplace.

 

As cannabis enters the mainstream, people are being inundated with information. There are thousands of strains, hundreds of medical uses and countless online forums to discover anything from recipes to growing techniques to educational information.

 

This information overload can prove overwhelming for both experienced users and those who are just discovering the benefits of cannabis.  With a complex history and daily debates on everything from production standards to how, when, and where cannabis can legally be enjoyed, how do we know what information is important for safe consumption?

 

A variety of people – from parents to working professionals – began to ask exactly that question, which lead to a further list of inquiries:

 

  • Who is growing the plants?
  • Which farmers use pesticides?
  • Do the extractors use solvents?  
  • How did my local dispensary decide to carry these products?
  • Should I only consume this product before bed, or is it okay to enjoy before I go to work?
  • How much do I take if I want to relax without reaching a state of complete euphoria?

 

A new wave of consumers are discovering the variety of flowers, oils, and edibles offered in California, and they’re finding that cannabis and its positive effects not only fit their lifestyle but enhance it. Evidence shows that many are active, healthy people who understand that wellness requires a conscious effort. These  consumers hold producers accountable and are aware of the ingredients and processes behind the purchases they make.

 

In this vein California’s cannabis users are driving a seed-to-sale movement, moving the industry towards full transparency. Much like the farm-to-table movement in the culinary world, seed-to-sale aims to show consumers how the cannabis products they want to enjoy are produced, from growing to extraction and production.

 

The seed-to-sale movement is made possible, in part, by  software and technology that play a major role in farming, transportation and sale of cannabis. Showing the process from start to finish is helping to create a standard of transparency in the cannabis industry.

 

As of June 14, 2017, the California Department of Food and Agriculture instituted a mandatory track-and-trace system for all seeds grown in California. This law was already in effect for medical cannabis businesses, but now the rules apply for both medicinal and recreational production. All cannabis businesses are required to record the data about the entire product lifecycle, including (source):

 

  • Its genetic origins.
  • All growing conditions, such as water, light, pesticides, equipment, and biological matter used.
  • Weight at various growing times, including vegetative stages, flowering and harvest.
  • Detailed potency descriptions.
  • Company and person responsible for distribution and delivery.
  • How it enters production and what product it becomes.
  • Retailer responsible for selling cannabis products.
  • Person involved in buying cannabis products.

 

Regulators aren’t the only ones taking the seed-to-sale movement seriously. Growers Network partnered with The Cannabist and created Canna Cribs to document the ins-and-outs of the cannabis industry. The first episode of Canna Cribs showcases a state-of-the art greenhouse in Southern California that grows 10,000 plants at a time. They’re making the cannabis community widely accessible for anyone and everyone.

 

Yes, there is a lot to contend with when it comes to sifting through all the information related to cannabis. However, those who are interested in finding out more about the process, from seed-to-sale, can access this information from various online sources.

 

Before purchasing you can watch Leafly’s Seed-To-Sale series to see exactly how legal cannabis is produced from start to finish. When buying at a dispensary, be sure to ask the budtender questions – their role includes helping you understand various product alternatives, and helping you become comfortable with what you are buying.

 

Do you know where your cannabis comes from?

 

Feel free to reach out via email at [email protected] with any questions or comments you may have. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to see what’s new and exciting in the market, to see what we’re up to day-to-day and learn about our latest products. Stay connected on the latest 3Leaf news and blog posts by signing up for our newsletter.

3LEAF – A healthier approach to edibles

The team at 3Leaf believes that cannabis should help stoke your fire, adding to the richness of your day-to-day experience. Further, we believe this should be true of all food we ingest, medicated or otherwise. That is why we make sourcing quality ingredients a priority; we want our edibles to fuel your body, and your life! We aim to produce healthy cannabis edibles.

 

Cannabis can elevate every day. It nourishes the mind and body. From the relaxing, uplifting perks of THC consumption, to the aromatic therapy the plant provides, science is just starting to uncover the true nature and extent of these benefits.

 

Quality food products can do the same thing. The right food ingredients can feed the mind as well as the body, and give us fuel to experience life at its best.

 

At 3Leaf it has been our goal to combine quality cannabis and healthier food products to provide clients with the best edibles experience possible. Our team is a combination of cannabis enthusiasts and natural health specialists, with extensive food formulation experience for healthy edibles.

 

“We use the healthiest ingredients we can and keep caloric content to a minimum” said 3Leaf executive chef Sandra Mallet, who has extensive experience in both culinary production and cannabis.  “People can medicate without excess calories.”

 

3Leaf edibles contain protein rich, energizing foods. “People will benefit more from eating an edible with healthy food like flax and quinoa. It will give you more energy at the end of the day”.

 

Click here to learn more about 3Leaf’s health conscious product line.

Who is using cannabis?

We are a team of active participants. We enjoy the finer things in life. We work hard and enjoy the journey. We have families and routines, which we love to mix up with a little adventure. We are cannabis users.

 

There is a major discrepancy between the myth and the reality when it comes to who uses cannabis. While it is often hard to trace the birth of a stereotype, the stigma surrounding cannabis culture can be easily mapped.

 

Prohibition created an environment where propaganda and “reefer madness” reigned supreme, and embedded a language of fear into the western conversation around cannabis. While the news and government institutions worked furiously to condemn cannabis as a “gateway drug” or “the devil’s lettuce”, many regular Americans were turning on the plant for relief and recreation.

 

The hippy uprising of the 1960s stimulated the conversation, for better and also for worse. This new free-wheeling way of life paved the way for the birth of the “lazy-stoner”. This new facet to the stigma provided a whole new way for institutions to condemn cannabis.

 

While American tokers were confined to back-alleys and basements, a small group of advocates began to lobby and fight to expose the truth about cannabis – a beautiful gift from nature and the source of many beneficial medicines and healing properties.

 

As their work comes to fruition through legalization’s slow but steady chug across the Americas, the research being uncovered around who uses cannabis and why begins to tell a very different story than many people expect.

 

One major perk of legalization is the integration of cannabis into all verticals, including market data, research and analytics. Companies such as BDS analytics are dedicated to providing up-to-date information to cannabis businesses and government bodies, and have uncovered some very interesting realities about who is using cannabis in the US.

 

Here are some of the most interesting data points uncovered in their research (source). 

Accomplished Personally and Professionally

  • Average annual household income among California Consumers is $93,800, compared to $72,800 for Acceptors and $75,900 for Rejecters.
  • The percentage of people holding master’s degrees among California Consumers is 20 percent, compared to 13 percent for Acceptors and 12 percent for Rejecters.
  • Full-time employment is enjoyed by 64 percent of Colorado Consumers, compared to 51 percent of Acceptors and 54 percent of Rejecters.

Satisfied with Life

  • Nearly five in 10 Colorado Consumers agree they are more satisfied with life today than they were a year ago, compared to about four in 10 among Acceptors and Rejecters.

Parents Raising Families

  • Cannabis Consumers are the most likely segment to be parents in California: 64 percent of Consumers are parents, compared to 60 percent of Acceptors and 55 percent of Rejecters.
  • In addition, Consumers in California are significantly more likely to have children ages 10 years or younger at home — 37 percent of Consumers compared to 23 percent of Acceptors and 11 percent of Rejecters

Active Socially and Creatively

  • Among Colorado Consumers, 36 percent agree they are very social people, compared to 21 percent for Acceptors and 28 percent for Rejecters.
  • Acceptors in Colorado were more likely to enjoy the fine arts and describe themselves as creative.

Enjoy the Outdoors

  • When compared to Rejecters, Consumers in both Colorado and California say they enjoy outdoor recreation at a higher rate — 50 percent for Colorado Consumers compared to 36 percent for Colorado Rejecters, and 57 percent for California Consumers compared to 26 percent for California Rejecters.

Nurturing and Volunteers

  • In California, 60 percent of Consumers agree that they are nurturing people, compared to 41 percent of Rejecters. Also, 38 percent of Consumers say they volunteer their time to help others, compared to 25 percent of Rejecters.