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Kratom Vs. Cannabis: What You Should Know
Even though kratom and cannabis come from natural plants, both have a long history of prohibition primarily driven by misinformation.
Kratom and cannabis are two substances that have been used for centuries by indigenous cultures as herbal allies. Although they both come from plants, there are many differences between these two products.
There are the active ingredients and the locations where the plants are grown. Another significant difference is the legality of these products throughout the United States.
Learning the similarities and differences between kratom and cannabis is vital. It will help you understand the benefits of both products and which one you should consider adding to your daily wellness routine.
The Kratom and Cannabis Active Ingredients
Despite coming from plants, the active ingredients of kratom and cannabis are significantly different.
Alkaloids are the primary active ingredients in kratom. The two you might be aware of are 7-hydroxy mitragynine and mitragynine. But it’s important to note that alkaloids occur in tiny concentrations compared to CBD and THC. Mitragynine is below 2%, and 7-hydroxy mitragynine is even lower.
As for cannabis, its active ingredient is cannabinoids. It is a natural chemical that can affect the body in multiple ways. The most prominent cannabinoid Is THC which is intoxicating, and CBD, which is non-intoxicating.
Where Are Kratom and Cannabis Legal?
Cannabis and kratom have different federal, state, and city legal statuses. For example, kratom is legal at a federal level, and cannabis isn’t. However, cannabis is legal for medicinal and recreational purposes in 38 states, whereas kratom products are banned in six states.
Due to these conflicting legal statuses, certain stigmas have formed around both products. As such, some prohibitionists are making it their mission to reduce access to kratom and cannabis. Thankfully, advocacy groups and movements, such as the Kratom Consumer Protection Act, are doing their part to ensure safe and legal access for adults across the country.
Where Are Kratom and Cannabis Prohibited?
Even though kratom and cannabis come from natural plants, both have a long history of prohibition primarily driven by misinformation.
Detractors of cannabis would often exaggerate the potential side effects, much like kratom. Due to unscientific arguments and misconceptions, users of these products have faced discrimination.
The lack of regulation hasn’t helped the situation. For decades, both products were largely unregulated. It made it difficult for the average person to know what kratom and cannabis products were safe to use and of a high quality. Thankfully, change is occurring, and it’s become easier to understand where to purchase items.
Comparing the Two Industries
Kratom doesn’t quite have the same following as cannabis, but it has begun to grow. Thanks to the legalization of both substances being supported by underground movements, the benefits of using the plants beyond ritual and recreation are coming to light. As such, it’s leading to more products getting created, such as:
- Gummies
- Capsules
- Chewable Tablets
- Powder
- Soft gels
- Leaf
- Tinctures
The good news is that studies into kratom are ongoing. While it’s known that the plant is safe to consume, as further advantages are made available, it’s expected to grow the industry even further.
Where Are Cannabis and Kratom Grown?
Cannabis is known to be cultivated in countries around the world. Within the US, it’s primarily grown in highly sophisticated indoor operations.
As for kratom, the plant is native to Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Malaysia. But most of the world’s supply comes from ancient-growth forests within Southeast Asia.
What the Research Says About Cannabis and Kratom
Due to decades of prohibition, research into cannabis and kratom is still in its infancy. Studies are getting funded and conducted thanks to the interest in both plants and the growing industries.
Some of the research targets how kratom and cannabis could be used, the risks of consuming the products, and the safest way to utilize both ingredients. The hope is that it will continue to empower users to make informed decisions on how kratom and cannabis can support wellbeing.
How to Choose Between Kratom and Cannabis?
Understanding the similarities and differences between kratom and cannabis is just the first step. Much like using any herbal ingredients, it’s vital to know how to use them safely and responsibly. That means speaking to a medical professional, especially if you’re taking prescription medication.
You should also consider where you purchase your products from. Choose businesses that are doing their part to legitimize the industry. Look at where they source their products and how they test them. This will ensure you’re getting high-quality and safe items.
Source: https://thefreshtoast.com/cannabis/kratom-vs-cannabis-what-you-should-know/
New Mexico regulators fined a cannabis operator nearly $300,000 and revoked its license after the company allegedly created fake reports in the state’s traceability software.
The New Mexico Cannabis Control Division (CCD) accused marijuana manufacturer and retailer Golden Roots of 11 violations, according to Albuquerque Business First.
Golden Roots operates the The Cannabis Revolution Dispensary.
The majority of the violations are related to the Albuquerque company’s improper use of BioTrack, which has been New Mexico’s track-and-trace vendor since 2015.
The CCD alleges Golden Roots reported marijuana production only two months after it had received its vertically integrated license, according to Albuquerque Business First.
Because cannabis takes longer than two months to be cultivated, the CCD was suspicious of the report.
After inspecting the company’s premises, the CCD alleged Golden Roots reported cultivation, transportation and sales in BioTrack but wasn’t able to provide officers who inspected the site evidence that the operator was cultivating cannabis.
In April, the CCD revoked Golden Roots’ license and issued a $10,000 fine, according to the news outlet.
The company requested a hearing, which the regulator scheduled for Sept. 1.
At the hearing, the CCD testified that the company’s dried-cannabis weights in BioTrack were suspicious because they didn’t seem to accurately reflect how much weight marijuana loses as it dries.
Company employees also poorly accounted for why they were making adjustments in the system of up to 24 pounds of cannabis, making comments such as “bad” or “mistake” in the software, Albuquerque Business First reported.
Golden Roots was fined $298,972.05 – the amount regulators allege the company made selling products that weren’t properly accounted for in BioTrack.
The CCD has been cracking down on cannabis operators accused of selling products procured from out-of-state or not grown legally:
- Regulators alleged in August that Albuquerque dispensary Sawmill Sweet Leaf sold out-of-state products and didn’t have a license for extraction.
- Paradise Exotics Distro lost its license in July after regulators alleged the company sold products made in California.
Golden Roots was the first alleged rulebreaker in New Mexico to be asked to pay a large fine.
Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/new-mexico-cannabis-operator-fined-loses-license-for-alleged-biotrack-fraud/
Four marijuana companies, including a multistate operator, have filed a lawsuit against U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in which they allege the federal MJ prohibition under the Controlled Substances Act is no longer constitutional.
According to the complaint, filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, retailer Canna Provisions, Treevit delivery service CEO Gyasi Sellers, cultivator Wiseacre Farm and MSO Verano Holdings Corp. are all harmed by “the federal government’s unconstitutional ban on cultivating, manufacturing, distributing, or possessing intrastate marijuana.”
Verano is headquartered in Chicago but has operations in Massachusetts; the other three operators are based in Massachusetts.
The lawsuit seeks a ruling that the “Controlled Substances Act is unconstitutional as applied to the intrastate cultivation, manufacture, possession, and distribution of marijuana pursuant to state law.”
The companies want the case to go before the U.S. Supreme Court.
They hired prominent law firm Boies Schiller Flexner to represent them.
The New York-based firm’s principal is David Boies, whose former clients include Microsoft, former presidential candidate Al Gore and Elizabeth Holmes’ disgraced startup Theranos.
Similar challenges to the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA) have failed.
One such challenge led to a landmark Supreme Court decision in 2005.
In Gonzalez vs. Raich, the highest court in the United States ruled in a 6-3 decision that the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution gave Congress the power to outlaw marijuana federally, even though state laws allow the cultivation and sale of cannabis.
In the 18 years since that ruling, 23 states and the District of Columbia have legalized adult-use marijuana and the federal government has allowed a multibillion-dollar cannabis industry to thrive.
Since both Congress and the U.S. Department of Justice, currently headed by Garland, have declined to intervene in state-licensed marijuana markets, the key facts that led to the Supreme Court’s 2005 ruling “no longer apply,” Boies said in a statement Thursday.
“The Supreme Court has since made clear that the federal government lacks the authority to regulate purely intrastate commerce,” Boies said.
“Moreover, the facts on which those precedents are based are no longer true.”
Verano President Darren Weiss said in a statement the company is “prepared to bring this case all the way to the Supreme Court in order to align federal law with how Congress has acted for years.”
While the Biden administration’s push to reschedule marijuana would help solve marijuana operators’ federal tax woes, neither rescheduling nor modest Congressional reforms such as the SAFER Banking Act “solve the fundamental issue,” Weiss added.
“The application of the CSA to lawful state-run cannabis business is an unconstitutional overreach on state sovereignty that has led to decades of harm, failed businesses, lost jobs, and unsafe working conditions.”
Alabama regulators are targeting Dec. 1 to award the first batch of medical cannabis business licenses after the agency’s first two attempts were scrapped because of scoring errors and litigation.
The first licenses will be awarded to individual cultivators, delivery providers, processors, dispensaries and state testing labs, according to the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC).
Then, on Dec. 12, the AMCC will award licenses for vertically integrated operations, a designation set primarily for multistate operators.
Licenses are expected to be handed out 28 days after they have been awarded, so MMJ production could begin in early January, according to the Alabama Daily News.
That means MMJ products could be available for patients around early March, an AMCC spokesperson told the media outlet.
Regulators initially awarded 21 business licenses in June, only to void them after applicants alleged inconsistencies with how the applications were scored.
Then, in August, the state awarded 24 different licenses – 19 went to June recipients – only to reverse themselves again and scratch those licenses after spurned applicants filed lawsuits.
A state judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by Chicago-based MSO Verano Holdings Corp., but another lawsuit is pending.
Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/alabama-plans-to-award-medical-cannabis-licenses-dec-1/
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