Researchers from the University of Twente’s MESA+ and MIRA research institutes have succeeded in visualizing THC, the active ingredient of cannabis, in intact plant structures. The substance is mainly found in trichomes (fine outgrowths) and in the small leaves around the flowers of the cannabis plant. Little or no THC is present in the stems and flowers. While these findings are not new, the study carried out by these researchers has shown their method (hyperspectral CARS Microscopy) to be a powerful tool for investigating the medicinal properties of plants. An article describing this research was published today in a scientific journal, the Journal of Biomedical Optics.
Tag Archives: THC
Analyst Moves: THC, TRGP
By MarketNewsVideo Tenet Healthcare (THC) was downgraded by Deutsche Bank (DB) from buy to hold as the sector is up by an average of 67% over the last year, and the current stock price does not provide investors with a good entry point.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Markets
NTRR: Huge Opportunities for Innovation Loom in Billion Dollar Cannabis Markets
By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool
Filed under: Investing
NTRR: Huge Opportunities for Innovation Loom in Billion Dollar Cannabis Markets
SARASOTA, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Even as lucrative new markets for medical marijuana continue to open up across North America, in many cases, patients don’t know much more about the cannabis they’re buying and consuming than the name of the strain. Neutra Corp. (OTCBB: NTRR) is exploring ways to change that.
Currently, the medical marijuana market in the U.S. is worth $1.7 billion. With more cannabis legislation now on the table from coast to coast, most industry experts agree that figure will rise. NTRR is looking for new technologies that will put the company on the cutting edge of cannabis-related products and services.
In order for patients to achieve consistent results with medical marijuana, they must know the potency of the drug’s active ingredients, including THC, cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabinol (CBN). This information would also allow state governments to regulate medicinal cannabis more effectively and let dispensaries differentiate products for pricing purposes.
Thanks to a boom in interest in medical marijuana, labs are popping up across the U.S. capable of delivering this important information. The laboratories with access to the most advanced technology for testing should capture a significant share of the testing market, says NTRR CEO Cindy Morrissey, because they’ll be better equipped to quickly and efficiently handle large volumes of cannabis.
“Patients use this crucial information to better predict how marijuana will help them, and to be sure that their marijuana is free of harmful pathogens, residue, pesticides and debris, which is important if you’re suffering from a serious illness,” she said. “Growers can use this lab data to monitor and upgrade their cultivation techniques. So, the market is there and growing for these testing innovations, and we’re seeking out potential partners who can help us deliver them.”
Neutra Corp. is dedicated to commercializing innovative, all-natural products to compete in the fast-growing medical marijuana sector alongside Cannabis Science Inc. (PINK: CBIS), Medical Marijuana Inc. (PINK: MJNA), HEMP Inc. (PINK: HEMP) and Growlife Inc. (PINK: PHOT).
For more information on NTRR‘s initiatives, please visit www.neutracorp.com/investors.
Follow NTRR on Twitter at www.twitter.com/neutracorp.
About Neutra Corp.
Neutra Corp. (www.neutracorp.com) is a healthy lifestyle company that specializes in the development and marketing of natural wellness solutions, including cannabis-related products and services as well as protective, anti-microbial coatings for indoor and outdoor surfaces. For investing information …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance
Soladiesel® Algae-Based Fuel Drives Successful Consumer Trial at Propel Fuels Locations
By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool
Filed under: Investing
Soladiesel® Algae-Based Fuel Drives Successful Consumer Trial at Propel Fuels Locations
Sales and survey results reveal driver preference for algae-based Soladiesel ® over conventional fuels; Sales increase 35 percent at participating test sites vs. non-participating sites
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Propel Fuels (www.propelfuels.com), a leading retailer of renewable fuels and clean mobility solutions, and Solazyme, Inc. (NAS: SZYM) , a renewable oils and bioproducts company, today announced that sales and survey results from their 30-day retail pilot program show consumers prefer its environmental benefits compared to conventional fuels; would purchase more of it if it was widely available and would even pay a premium for it. The pilot program, which marked the first commercial availability of algal derived fuels, offered SoladieselBD in a B20 blend to consumers through Propel’s Clean Fuel Points in Redwood City, San Jose, Berkeley, and Oakland.
In the consumer survey, 92 percent of participants noted that they would be more likely to purchase algae-derived fuel for its environmental benefits; 70 percent indicated that they would purchase the fuel more frequently if it were derived from algae; and nearly 40 percent of customers indicated they would pay a premium for algae-derived fuel.
Sales results reflected the enthusiasm indicated by the survey, with a 35 percent volume increase at Propel stations offering the algae-derived fuel over area sites not participating in the pilot.
“Our fuels have already been successfully demonstrated in fleet vehicles, corporate buses, military applications and the first U.S. commercial flight on biofuel,” said Bob Ames, VP of Fuels, Solazyme. “The successful pilot program with Propel further exhibits strong consumer appetite for the superior performance and environmental properties of Soladiesel.”
Solazyme’s high quality algae-based SoladieselBD meets or exceeds ASTM quality specifications and has shown performance enhancements including superior cold temperature operating performance and environmental benefits. Life Cycle Associates, an independent greenhouse gas measurement firm, determined that Soladiesel® provides an 85-93% greenhouse gas emissions reduction when compared to conventional petroleum-based diesel. In addition, testing by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) indicates that in a 20 percent blend, SoladieselBD significantly outperforms ultra-low sulfur diesel in total hydrocarbons (THC), carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter tailpipe emissions. This includes an approximate 30 percent reduction in particulates, a 20 percent reduction in CO and an approximate 10 percent reduction in THC.
“Propel is committed to providing drivers true choice at the pump by bringing to market the world’s …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance
Steve Beshear, Kentucky Governor, Not Ready To Support State Push For Legal Industrial Hemp
By The Huffington Post News Editors
Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear (D) on Tuesday added his name to a list of skeptics unwilling to support a state push to plant the seeds for a potential legal hemp industry.
According to the Associated Press, Beshear told reporters that he wasn’t ready to back legislation to establish licensing and regulation procedures for industrial hemp, set to go into effect only if a federal effort to legalize the plant is passed. The state Senate passed the bill last week, sending it to the state House, where it is expected to face more serious opposition.
Kentucky Sens. Rand Paul (R) and Mitch McConnell (R) joined two other Democratic co-sponsors last week in introducing the Industrial Hemp Farming Act. In their announcement, the senators argued that the nation was neglecting a multi-million dollar industry because consumers are currently forced to import hemp-based products. Under their bill, any hemp strands with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content under 0.3 percent would be considered a non-drug. According to current Drug Enforcement Agency classifications, both hemp and marijuana with higher levels of THC are listed as Schedule I controlled substances, alongside drugs such as LSD, heroin and ecstasy.
Hash oil causes blast, hurts 3 near SeaWorld in SD
An explosion tore through a hotel near SeaWorld San Diego where a couple was allegedly extracting hash oil, sending guests fleeing for safety and putting three people in the hospital, authorities said.
A 22-year-old man in the room suffered life-threatening injuries in the Wednesday explosion at the three-story Heritage Inn Sea World Hotel, authorities said. Also hurt were a woman in the room and a young man staying next door.
Julie Jordan of San Diego was sleeping with a friend’s baby in a nearby room when she felt the building shake violently, then heard a loud explosion. She ran outside and saw a shattered window and a badly injured man sitting at the bottom of some stairs, she said.
“There was chaos. I was very confused. When I came out of the room, I didn’t know which way to turn,” she said.
Another guest, Joseph Tydingco, said “It was like a disaster zone in there.”
Investigators found several boxes containing canisters of butane inside the room where the blast occurred, police Lt. Joseph Ramos said.
The butane apparently was ignited by a cigarette, Fire-Rescue Department spokesman Maurice Luque said. The second-floor room looked like a “war zone,” he said.
“It was a very intense and devastating explosion,” Luque said.
Hash oil is made by packing finely ground stems and leaves of marijuana plants in a pipe and pouring butane through it, said Amy Roderick, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, which is leading the investigation. The liquid typically is then cooked on a stove to separate the butane.
Hash oil averages about 15 percent THC, the chief intoxicant in marijuana, according to the DEA. A drop or two is about as potent as a marijuana cigarette.
The DEA did not confirm that a cigarette ignited the butane or know the size of the drug operation.
“It just looks like a bomb that blew up there,” Roderick said. “It’s hard for us to tell what was going on there.”
The DEA will review the evidence before deciding whether to send the case to the San Diego County district attorney’s office for criminal charges.
Authorities said the couple in the room where the explosion occurred suffered burns, and the man in the neighboring room had bruises, cuts and possible burns.
The badly burned man was in “very, very serious” condition, Luque said. His female companion and the man in the next room — both believed to be around 20 years old — were in moderate condition. Their names were not released.
Joseph Tydingco, 52, rushed out of his room after what felt like a major earthquake and saw black smoke billowing from rooms. He grabbed a fire extinguisher and, with another guest, removed mattresses as they heard people screaming outside.
Tydingco, a SeaWorld maintenance worker, estimated that walls collapsed in six rooms. Police said at least four rooms were destroyed or badly damaged.
The blaze was mostly under control within minutes of the blast, which happened at about 11:15 a.m.
Tydingco said the hotel largely caters to vacationing families on tight budgets and local residents who lack enough cash to sign a rental lease.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News
Calling all green thumbs: Washington state seeks pot consultant
Wanted: A green thumb with extensive knowledge of the black, or at least gray, market.
As Washington state tries to figure out how to regulate its newly legal marijuana, officials are hiring an adviser on all things weed: how it’s best grown, dried, tested, labeled, packaged and cooked into brownies.
Those angling for the job were expected to learn more Wednesday in Tacoma. The state Liquor Control Board, the agency charged with developing rules for the marijuana industry, reserved a convention center hall with a capacity of 275 people — plus an overflow room — for its bidding experts to take questions about the position and the hiring process.
“The Liquor Control Board has a long and a very good history with licensing and regulation. We know it and know how to do it well,” said spokesman Mikhail Carpenter. “But there are some technical aspects with marijuana we could use a consultant to help us with.”
Last fall, Washington and Colorado became the first states to pass laws legalizing the recreational use of marijuana and setting up systems of state-licensed growers, processors and retail stores where adults over 21 can walk in and buy up to an ounce of heavily taxed cannabis. Sales are due to begin in Washington state in December.
Both states are working to develop rules for the emerging pot industry. Up in the air is everything from how many growers and stores there should be, to how the marijuana should be tested to ensure people don’t get sick.
Washington’s Liquor Control Board has advertised for consulting services in four categories. The first is “product and industry knowledge” and requires “at least three years of consulting experience relating to the knowledge of the cannabis industry, including but not limited to product growth, harvesting, packaging, product infusion and product safety.”
Other categories cover quality testing, including how to test for levels of THC, the compound that gets marijuana users high; statistical analysis of how much marijuana the state’s licensed growers should produce; and the development of regulations, a category that requires “a strong understanding of state, local or federal government processes,” with a law degree preferred.
In case no regulatory lawyers who grow pot in their spare time apply, multiple contracts could be awarded. Or bidders who are strong in one category could team up with those who are strong in another. Bids are due Feb. 15, with the contract awarded in March.
Many of the bidders are expected to come from the medical marijuana world.
Christy Stanley, a Kitsap County resident who has researched marijuana and considered opening a medical dispensary in the past, said she’s attending the conference because she’d like the job, but wants to know whether it would disqualify her from also becoming a licensed grower or retailer. She knows growers, but has never grown marijuana herself, she said.
“This is big: The nation and the world are looking to us to set up a good model,” she said. “If it works here, they’re just going to cookie-cut this for other states.”
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News