Whether you use marijuana for medicinal or recreational purposes, you should know a little something about terpenes. Like cannabinoids, terpenes are produced by resin glands inside the sticky, crystalline appendages called trichomes that are found along the leaves and buds of the marijuana plant. But unlike cannabinoids, terpenes give us the unique flavors and aromas that make our favorite strains so appealing. For example, terpenes are the reason Blueberry Cheesecake and Blackberry Kush are so darn fruity and delicious, and they give Sour Diesel its unique “fuel-skunk-citrus bouquet,” as one ..read more

Since hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) was made legal with the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, many patients have been asking us if it’s okay to take their medicinal CBD products with them when they travel. As with most questions dealing with the possession and use of medical cannabis, there is no definitive answer. However, we can make things a bit clearer to give you some peace of mind before you head out for your next trip. Yes, TSA has updated its policy about medical marijuana because of the new law. The Transportation Security Administration now allows air travelers to pack hemp-derived CBD ..read more

Chronic pain continues to be the number-one complaint among medical marijuana patients nationwide, and it usually goes hand in hand with another common symptom: inflammation. We tend to think of inflammation as something that happens when we get an injury. You cut your finger or get a nasty splinter and it becomes red and inflamed. Eventually, the inflammation settles when the wound begins to heal. But what exactly is happening beneath the surface that causes inflammation? Good question. Inflammation: 101 Put simply, inflammation is how your immune system responds to something it believes may ..read more

According to the Arthritis Foundation, about 54 million adults in the United States have arthritis.  Yet, this estimate only includes individuals with arthritis diagnosed by a doctor. If you were to include people who have arthritis symptoms but have not been diagnosed, the statistic would be much higher — 91 million, to be exact. These numbers are also expected to increase. This is due to many factors, including increasing life expectancy and higher rates of obesity. Generally, arthritis management revolves around positive lifestyle habits like physical activity, healthy eating, and getting e ..read more

It’s hard to believe that in just two election cycles, marijuana reform has gone from a fringe issue to a topic that nearly every one of our 2020 presidential candidates is publicly weighing in on. And not just weighing in on but actively supporting.  Even former Vice President Joe Biden, a staunch anti-drug activist who, in the past, pushed for stricter laws and punishments for individuals charged with marijuana possession, recently voiced his support for decriminalizing marijuana and putting legalization in the hands of individual states.  As it stands now, almost all of the current 27 candi ..read more

With the passage of a new bill, Arizona has finally joined the ranks of states that require purity and potency testing for medical marijuana. (To learn more about why it took so long, here’s a little background information.) On June 7, 2019, Arizona Senate Bill 1494 was signed into law by Governor Doug Ducey and will go into effect in late August.  Among its key provisions, SB 1494 states that all medical marijuana products will be tested by an independent third-party laboratory before being sold or dispensed to ensure they are free of contaminants such as mold, heavy metals, pesticides, growt ..read more

One of my favorite companies within the cannabis industry based right here in the valley of the sun, High Grade cultivates world class, hand trimmed medical cannabis, utilizing exclusive genetics to provide patients with nothing but quality medication we the patient can count on. Their strain Cookies and Cream is no exception. Having just spent the last five days in Houston attending a conference on my connective tissue disorder Marfan Syndrome, I landed at Sky Harbor, got in my car and drove straight to Desert Rose with the sole purpose of purchasing something that would alleviate my pain. My ..read more

If you prefer to kick it old school with your medical marijuana and roll a joint or pack a bowl to find relief, you probably have a handful of favorite strains you turn to when it comes time to medicate.  Popular strains these days include Girl Scout Cookies, Blue Dream, OG Kush, White Widow, and Gorilla Glue, but have you ever wondered if the Blue Dream you picked up here in Phoenix is the same as the Blue Dream your buddy across the state—or your other buddy in Seattle—is using?  Well, we did, so we decided to do a little research.  As it turns out, weed strains get their names for a variet ..read more

It took six years, but the outcome is a win for medical marijuana patients and advocates across the state.  If you live in Arizona and rely on medical cannabis for its therapeutic benefits, you’ve likely heard of—and maybe even kept tabs on the progress of—the State of Arizona v. Rodney Christopher Jones criminal case. If not, here’s a quick breakdown: In 2013, Arizona mmj patient Rodney Jones was charged with possession for having 0.05 ounces of hashish (roughly the size of your fingertip), which the trial court claimed was illegal under the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act (AMMA). Jones was con ..read more

The statistics may surprise you. Every 92 seconds in the United States, another person becomes a victim of sexual violence. Although men and boys are not immune, women and young girls are most often the target. One in every six women is the victim of an attempted or completed rape. Ninety-four percent of women who have been raped show signs of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the weeks immediately following the incident. And 30 percent of those women will still have PTSD symptoms almost a year later. Source: https://www.rainn.org/statistics/victims-sexual-violence The reality: PTSD has ..read more