Daily Archives: July 16, 2021

Lib Dems start picking ‘blue wall’ candidates for next election to keep up pressure on Tories – iNews

Posted: July 16, 2021 at 1:25 pm

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey plans to keep up the pressure on the Conservatives in the blue wall across the south of England by selecting candidates three years in advance of the next general election.

The partys shock by-election win in Chesham & Amersham has given it renewed momentum but it is not clear how they will be able to keep it up, with no more high-profile clashes on the horizon in the coming months.

Sir Ed is adamant that by building from the bottom up, putting grassroots teams in place and starting the process of knocking on doors in traditionally safe Tory seats, the Lib Dems can convince centre-right voters to abandon Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

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He is also keen to avoid the mistakes of the past, when the party won positive coverage in Westminster but had a weak ground game in key target seats.

Cutting the Lib Dem campaign team from 25 people to just five in response to financial worries a few years ago was a massive mistake, the leader told i. He has now restored it to its original size, using savings such as moving to a smaller headquarters which will cost the party 400,000 less.

Speaking in Guildford, a former Lib Dem seat held by the Tories since 2005, Sir Ed said: Were selecting our candidate, do it early and get them on the doorstep.

He added: If we get through these selections, which are now going well apace, well have campaigns, well have people who are going out there and knocking on doors, week in week out, listening to people, and the Tory MPs are going to find them getting worried. Theyll start feeling that at the local level but it will feed through to the national level.

The party overturned a Conservative majority of 16,000 in Chesham & Amersham to take the seat by a margin of more than 8,000 in last months by-election.

It has a track record of overperforming in by-elections, but Sir Ed claims the contest can be a template for future battles with the Tories: In Chesham & Amersham, people hadnt had their door knocked. I went there 16 times, and the first few sessions canvassers came back saying, These people have never had their door knocked and theyve lived here 30, 40 years.

Although weve listened to people liking Johnson in the red wall, celebrity status and all that, I dont think it goes down well in these seats. Their values theyre quite outward looking, quite liberal, patriotic but not nationalist, theyre not convinced by populism, and I honestly had quite a number of doors where people said, Im not voting Tory again while hes the leader.' He concluded: The blue wall is really game on.

The party is emphasising its opposition to the Governments proposed planning reforms, which could see major developments in wealthy commuter areas such as Surrey, Hampshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire. It claims they are anti-democratic because they would take away the right of councils to block specific individual housing projects.

Under previous leader Jo Swinson, the Lib Dems rode high in the polls but ended up underperforming in the 2019 general election, which saw the party chief lose her own seat. Sir Ed is careful not to criticise his predecessor directly, but has signalled he believes that grassroots campaigning is more important than making an impact in the media.

He is seeking to establish the party as a major voice on a relatively small number of policies, in particular caring of which he has personal experience but accepts that when it comes to some of the most high-profile issues it will be an uphill challenge. The Lib Dems have very rarely managed to make headway in the health debate, Sir Ed said. He claims that by picking its targets carefully, and going at them relentlessly, his party can return from the wilderness.

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Liberal Fights and History – by Jonah Goldberg – The Remnant – The Dispatch

Posted: at 1:25 pm

Get your bingo cards ready, because Yuval Levin is back on The Remnant today to counteract Alex Tabarroks libertarian influence. Which side is the aggressor in the culture war? How will history remember the Trump era? And why is the left substituting relativism for absolutism? Tune in for answers to these vital questions (which include plenty of ostentatious references to Leo Strauss), but stick around to hear Yuval deliver a heartening affirmation of American exceptionalism. The United States is facing challenges, and we have much to fix, but we have even more to be proud of. As any immigrant would tell you, there really is no greater country than America today.

Show Notes:

- The weeks first Remnant with Alex Tabarrok

- Kevin Drum: If You Hate the Culture Wars, Blame Liberals

- Tim Miller: Whos Actually Responsible for the Culture War?

- Jonahs G-File responding to both Drum and Miller

- Yuvals third book, The Great Debate

- CPAC attendees applaud Bidens missed vaccine goal

- Jonahs Twitter debate with Nikole Hannah-Jones

- The New York Times tragic January 6 video

- Leo Strauss on liberal education

- Gen. Mark Milley feared a Trump Reichstag moment

- Fame and the Founding Fathers, by Douglass Adair

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Liberal Party is on the ‘hoppy horse of the cultural left’ with Indigenous Voice – Sky News Australia

Posted: at 1:25 pm

Institute of Public Affairs Director of Policy Gideon Roznan says the Liberal Party is on the hoppy horse of the cultural left by supporting an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

Mr Roznan said the legislated Voice proposition would write race back into the constitution and effectively bestow certain civil and political rights on some Australians, and not others based on their skin colour.

This is poison for middle Australia, this is the antithesis of the egalitarianism Australia conducts itself with, he said.

Politicians know this is astoundingly unpopular, but for their own woke, trendy reasons and to be popular in the salons of inner-city Sydney, theyre on the hoppy horse of the cultural left.

Unfortunately, this is going to split the Liberal Party because there are people in the Liberal Party who think it is a good idea when its not.

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Mark Smith: We need more liberalism in Scotland but the result could be a Yes vote – HeraldScotland

Posted: at 1:25 pm

Who will pose with the penguins now? Who will sit in the giant deckchair? Who will zip-wire, and water-ski, and star-jump? Willie Rennie, leader of the Scottish Lib Dems and lover of a colourful photo opportunity, has revealed that hes standing down and, true to form, he made the announcement from the top of a hill, apparently unaware or no longer caring about the metaphorical significance of a politician standing at the top of a steep downward slope.

And lets be honest anyway: if judged solely on election results, its been downhill all the way for the Lib Dems under Mr Rennies leadership. When he took over, the Lib Dems, and Labour, had just suffered the terrible defeat of 2011 amid the SNP surge. But since then, Mr Rennie's party has sunk even lower, losing another Holyrood seat in May. As for Westminster, its even worse: the party had 57 seats ten years ago; now its 11.

Im not suggesting Mr Rennie is entirely, or even mostly, to blame for the Scottish situation: the trends that led us to where we are now the economic crisis of 2007, the decline of Labour, the ascendancy of Alex Salmond all of those were in place before he took over. But ten years on, liberalism no longer seems to be able to rely on the place it once had in the Scottish political and psychological landscape, and I think its fair to ask what part the Lib Dems have played in that.

The answer is probably that they've done their best. Mr Rennie is ebullient and likeable, although at times, on independence, he hasnt always sounded particularly liberal. During the election in May for example, he said he wouldnt support a second referendum under any circumstances at any time, which, even for someone as passionate about the UK as Mr Rennie, sounded a tad illiberal. Liberals must surely accept that Scotlands membership of the union is by consent and, occasionally, the consent needs to be tested.

But the bigger problem is that liberalism, particularly the common-sensical variant Mr Rennie represents, has been squeezed by a number of unpleasant trends. The first is the rise of me-politics: politics based on personal identities, be it sex, race, sexuality or even age. Its much harder for a liberal who talks about commonality to thrive when everyone is talking about difference.

The rise in nationalism has also been a problem for Mr Rennie, which he acknowledged in his resignation speech. Scotland, he said, is lumbered with twin nationalisms one represented by the SNP, the other by the Tories and an alternative is needed. But again, its hard for a nice chap like Mr Rennie to find a way through when everyone is ranting about nationalism and youre staging photo ops that, frankly, seemed better suited to the age when people mainly saw politicians on the TV news patting dogs and kissing babies.

However, none of that means Mr Rennies diagnosis that we need an alternative to the two extremes is wrong. Quite the opposite: the idea of building a liberal consensus in the middle of politics will sound like a good idea to anyone still suffering post-2014 fatigue. And theres no doubt the consensus does still exist, and is prepared to be convinced, even though its the two extremes that make the most noise.

The other interesting question is where the consensus might lead, and whether some Yes supporters could feel part of it. I remember talking to the former Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson about this and she pointed out that devolution in the 90s was the end result of a long period of engagement by all the parties, from which a consensus emerged (bar the Tories). The result was a referendum in 1997 that effectively confirmed a settled public opinion.

Ms Swinsons view was that we need to do the same again and build a new settled will on the constitution and a new leader of the Scottish Lib Dems could promote that idea. He or she would need to point out that it will take time (so no second referendum any time soon). But the bigger point is that no one is dictating where the consensus might end up. It could be No. But maybe not. Maybe a new, liberal consensus could, in the end, lead to Yes.

Our columns are a platform for writers to express their opinions. They do not necessarily represent the views of The Herald.

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How To Copy Your Business Rivals Idea And Get Away With It – Forbes

Posted: at 1:24 pm

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Over the last year or so, Twitter carried out an act of high-tech petit larceny: swiping what originally was Snapchats idea for a Stories function, where users publish ephmeral content to all their followers, and adding it to its app. Twitter called its version Fleets, since, well, the photos, text and video there enjoyed only fleeting existences.

This sort of theft is common place in Silicon Valley, and unless a business wants to lock horns with an opponent in a costly legal battle, theres not much to do about itexcept hope the copy-cat ends up meeting the same end as Fleets. Yep, the features a goner. Twitter said earlier this week it would remove Fleets on August 3, less than a year after it making widely available to users.

Plenty of other copy-cat products have perished, struggled or plain fizzled out in similar fashion. When Apple debuted Siri, Google and Microsoft both tried to come up with virtual assistants of their own (Google Now and Cortana, respectively). In a related sense. Spotify begat the less sucessful Apple Music. Likewise, Microsofts Surface Tablet and Apples iPad Proas well as Amazons connected home device Echo and Googles Google Home.

Cloning a competitor isnt a particularly noble pursuit. But probably the worst possible thing is making a imitation product that flops. Indeed, theres a way to produce a successful knockoff, and as Twitter and these others have found, a wrong way, too.

Probably the most obvious example of a successful bit of technological pilfering is what Instagram did with Stories back in 2016. Snapchat had pioneered the feature on its blossoming app, and it caught the attention of a young developer at Facebook, Michael Sayman, then 19. He noticed how frequently his friends sent messages through Snapchats Stories. It was huge with my friends, everyone was using it, he says. And with Facebook already feeling newly under pressure from Snapchat, Sayman brought up the matter in a meeting with CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

On Saymans urging, Facebook decided to first roll out its version of Stories on Instagram, which it had bought in 2012. It moved quickly: It saw the threat and met it, while Twitter would wait nearly five years to bolt on Stories to the top of its app. Even more importantly, Instagram offered some key improvements, something else that fouled up Fleets. Users could post saved photos to Instagram Stories. Eventually, Instagam would add things like Q&As, polls and links.

There was something else important about Stories. It gave Instagram users a different way to use the app. By 2016, the platform had already developed a reputation as the place to post glossy, glamorous photos. The disappearing Stories let users publish content that didnt met those standards, items you were comfortable seeing evaporate the next day. (And by contrast, Fleets didnt really offer Twitter users anything novel. Most standard tweets are pretty short-lived by nature, mostly passing thoughts.)

And more simply, Instagram offered a wider means of distribution for Stories. On Snapchat, users generally had only friends or close contacts to share Stories with or whoever had their phone number. Instagram gave people the chance to share Stories with anyone following their account. So a picture posted on Instagram Stories would be more likely to attract more engagement than one on Snapchat, an alluring prospect.

You can't literally just copy a feature and stick it on another app and guarantee that it's going to work. I think most cases that wouldn't work, Sayman says. When Instagram took the approach with Stories, it was much more about: how you provide a similar value. Key word: similar, not duplicative.

Instagrams gambit paid off. By 2018, Instagram stories had nearly 400 million daily users, while Snapchats growth had largely plateaued at half that figure.

The question of whether a knockoff can work will come up again soon with TikTok. It announced earlier this month two seperate acts of mimicry: Its going after Cameo with a marketplace for users to comission videos from influencers and taking a swipe at LinkedIn with TikTok Resumes, a part of its social network structured around video CVs.

Cameo CEO and cofounder Steve Galanis feels comfortable from where hes seated. He reasons that TikTok will fall into another trap for copy-cats: It will only half-heartedly pursue the task without brigning its full resources to bare. A marketplace to connect fans and celebs is the reason we exist. Its not the reason TikTok exists, Galanis says. If you have a product like that, TikToks best people arent going to be working on it. So its critical that our best people are better than the people at TikTok, and we continue to execute on our roadmap. As it happens, outrunning a larcenous rival is as a good way as any to contend with the situation.

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5 Tips to Keep in Mind When Cooking With CBD Oil – Salon Priv Magazine

Posted: at 1:24 pm

Cannabidiol (CBD) is the second-most popular extract obtained from cannabis, the other one being tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). CBD and THC also happen to be the most abundant chemicals in marijuana. While the cannabis plant produces over 115 medically beneficial compounds (known as cannabinoids), THC and CBD account for about 40% of the plants extracts.

Cannabidiol is famous for its analgesic and anxiolytic properties, making it an effective natural remedy for pain and anxiety. The compound might also help you deal with seizures, nausea, inflammatory diseases, and sleep problems.

Another thing to love about CBD, besides its numerous health benefits, is that there are several ways to administer the compound. You can vape CBD-based e-liquids, smoke-dried cannabis flowers, or spray CBD tinctures underneath your tongue. You can also consume cannabidiol by topically applying CBD-enriched skincare products or ingesting CBD edibles.

When it comes to CBD edible products, you can either opt for store-ready products or incorporate CBD into your cooking. This post explores some of the top tips to keep in mind when cooking with cannabidiol oil.

Weve just highlighted that CBD products come in all shapes and sizes. Examples include CBD vape pens that work well, CBD-infused edibles, oral tinctures, smokable products, and inhalable products. The good thing about the various CBD-based products is that they all boast the healing benefits of cannabidiol. However, not all CBD products are perfect as cooking ingredients.

For instance, you cannot cook using CBD e-juice. Thats because the e-liquid might contain compounds that are potentially toxic if ingested, such as propylene glycol (PG). Similarly, you cannot cook using dried cannabis flowers, CBD-enriched bath bombs, or CBD gummies. Instead, the best cannabidiol-based products for cooking are CBD-infused oils intended for oral administration. Such oils usually contain two primary ingredients cannabidiol and carrier oil, such as coconut or olive oil.

You might also consider CBD tinctures. However, note that tinctures usually contain alcohol, which is not a top cooking ingredient for most people.

Its advisable to avoid cooking using CBD oil formulated with significant amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol. Thats especially if youre new to CBD or cannabis in general. THC is the compound in marijuana that gives the plant most of its psychoactive properties. Exposure to significant THC levels could induce a host of psychedelic effects, such as hallucination. The last thing you want is to get high while trying to relieve a medical condition.

However, THC is encouraged for recreational cannabis users or users already familiar with the compound. In addition, medical marijuana doctors believe that CBD and THC work synergistically to bring about compounded therapeutic benefits via a mechanism called the entourage effect.

Either way, always ensure your CBD oil contains more CBD than THC. Start with a CBD: THC ratio of 9:1, then adjust the portions gradually as you get accustomed to tetrahydrocannabinol.

Heat is a common factor that facilitates the degradation of cannabidiol. And when CBD degrades, it becomes less potent.

Note that cannabidiol has a boiling point between 320 and 356 degrees Fahrenheit. So, when cooking using CBD oil, endeavour to keep the temperature below 320 degrees Fahrenheit. That will prevent the compound from breaking down and losing its effectiveness.

If you find it challenging to maintain the ideal cooking temperature, consider adding CBD oil after removing the food from the hot surface. For instance, dont add CBD oil into the cake batter before baking it. Instead, add it to the toppings that will go on the cake.

CBD and THC are not the only pharmacologically beneficial compounds in marijuana. The plant produces several other cannabinoids, including cannabigerol (CBG), cannabichromene (CBC), and cannabinol (CBN). To reap maximum healing benefits from CBD oil, consider oils formulated with as many other cannabinoids as possible.

Studies have shown that cannabigerol might treat irritable bowel disease, glaucoma, and bladder infections. So, cooking with CBD oil formulated with CBG could offer relief from any of these diseases.

Similarly, CBD oils loaded with CBN may relieve sleep disorders like insomnia. Again, thats due to cannabinols sedating properties. Besides cannabinoids, also pay attention to the terpenes that a CBD product contains. Terpenes are cannabis compounds that give cannabinoids their distinct flavours. Examples of common marijuana terpenes include myrcene, limonene, pinene, and linalool.

CBD edibles take longer to kick in compared to other delivery methods. Youll normally feel the effects of edible products between 1 and 3 hours after consuming them. Thats because edibles must first undergo a complete digestion process before they can enter your bloodstream.

On the flip side, the effects of CBD edibles last considerably longer (up to 24 hours). Nevertheless, theres no guarantee that CBD will work for you. If you feel like the effects take forever to kick in, check what youre consuming cannabidiol with. Alcohol and certain drugs are known to interact adversely with CBD and could reduce its effectiveness.

Its true that CBD has a more favourable safety profile compared to many herbal extracts. However, an overdose could leave you nursing several adverse effects, including nausea, lightheadedness, and dry mouth.

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United States Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil Market Research Report 2021-2026 by Form, Source, Application, Distribution Channel, & State with Cumulative…

Posted: at 1:24 pm

DUBLIN, July 15, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Cannabidiol Oil Market Research Report by Form, by Source, by Application, by Distribution Channel, by State - United States Forecast to 2026 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

United States Cannabidiol Oil Market is projected to grow with a significant CAGR in the forecast period. Economic development and substantial infrastructure development have constituted regional revenue generation.

Further, the patterns associated with domestic production, import and export, and consumption have helped market participants to analyze and capitalize on potential opportunities. Besides, the qualitative and quantitative parameters provided in the report with detailed analysis highlights the driving and restraining factors of the United States Cannabidiol Oil Market.

Cumulative Impact of COVID-19:

COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, and the long-term effects are projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. The ongoing research amplifies the research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward.

The report delivers insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecasts, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market.

Competitive Strategic Window:

The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies to help the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. It describes the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth during a forecast period.

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FPNV Positioning Matrix:

The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Cannabidiol Oil Market based on Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape.

Market Share Analysis:

The Market Share Analysis offers the analysis of vendors considering their contribution to the overall market. It provides the idea of its revenue generation into the overall market compared to other vendors in the space. It provides insights into how vendors are performing in terms of revenue generation and customer base compared to others.

Knowing market share offers an idea of the size and competitiveness of the vendors for the base year. It reveals the market characteristics in terms of accumulation, fragmentation, dominance, and amalgamation traits.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Preface

2. Research Methodology

2.1. Define: Research Objective

2.2. Determine: Research Design

2.3. Prepare: Research Instrument

2.4. Collect: Data Source

2.5. Analyze: Data Interpretation

2.6. Formulate: Data Verification

2.7. Publish: Research Report

2.8. Repeat: Report Update

3. Executive Summary

3.1. Introduction

3.2. Market Outlook

3.3. Product Outlook

3.4. Form Outlook

3.5. Application Outlook

3.6. Distribution Channel Outlook

3.7. Source Outlook

3.8. Geography Outlook

3.9. Competitor Outlook

4. Market Overview

5. Market Insights

5.1. Market Dynamics

5.1.1. Drivers

5.1.2. Restraints

5.1.3. Opportunities

5.1.4. Challenges

5.2. Cumulative Impact of COVID-19

6. Cannabidiol Oil Market, by Form

6.1. Introduction

6.2. Concentrated Oil

6.3. Cream

6.4. Food Additive

6.5. Inhaled Liquids

6.6. Supplement Capsule

6.7. Tincture Spray

7. Cannabidiol Oil Market, by Product

7.1. Introduction

7.2. Hemp CBD Oil

7.3. Marijuana CBD Oil

8. Cannabidiol Oil Market, by Source

8.1. Introduction

8.2. Inorganic

8.3. Organic

9. Cannabidiol Oil Market, by Application

9.1. Introduction

9.2. Cosmetics

9.3. Food & Beverage

9.4. Medical & Pharmaceuticals

9.5. Pet Care

10. Cannabidiol Oil Market, by Distribution Channel

10.1. Introduction

10.2. Offline Mode

10.3. Online Mode

11. Competitive Landscape

11.1. FPNV Positioning Matrix

11.1.1. Quadrants

11.1.2. Business Strategy

11.1.3. Product Satisfaction

11.2. Market Ranking Analysis

11.3. Market Share Analysis

11.4. Competitive Scenario

11.4.1. Merger & Acquisition

11.4.2. Agreement, Collaboration, & Partnership

11.4.3. New Product Launch & Enhancement

11.4.4. Investment & Funding

11.4.5. Award, Recognition, & Expansion

12. Company Usability Profiles

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ystdwh

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210715005653/en/

Contacts

ResearchAndMarkets.comLaura Wood, Senior Press Managerpress@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

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United States Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil Market Research Report 2021-2026 by Form, Source, Application, Distribution Channel, & State with Cumulative...

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Massive Houston hemp facility has its eyes on a cannabis-infused future – Houston Chronicle

Posted: at 1:24 pm

There is a distinct aroma wafting through the offices of Bayou City Hemp, where the skunky odor of cannabis mixes with the sweet smell of optimism.

One of the first and largest hemp processing plants in Texas, the two-year-old company is planting the seed for a legal cannabis industry its founders say is sure to come. Until then, Bayou City is focusing on clean forms of extraction of cannabidiol CBD oils from the hemp plant, turning it into items such as edible gummies, drinkable mixers and inhaleable vape pens. Products it manufactures can put you to sleep, ease your pain and even get you high.

Ben Meggs and Jeromy Sherman were friends and colleagues working in the oil and gas industry before forming Bayou City Hemp in 2019. The business is meant to fill a void in the budding Texas market regulators legalized the industry in 2019 as a way to help farmers squeezed by Americas trade war with China. Once they started planting and harvesting, the farmers needed a place to process the raw hemp.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Hemp or marijuana? After a year in the dark, Harris County prosecutors will finally know.

We saw the bottleneck in the industry was going to be on the processing side, Sherman said. We created the company we couldnt find.

House Bill 1325, enacted two years ago, made it legal to manufacture, distribute and sell consumable hemp products in Texas in an emerging industry now regulated by the Texas Department of State Health Services. The legislation followed passage of the federal Farm Bill in December 2018, which redefined hemp as a low-THC cannabis product with (0.3 percent or less THC) and removed it from the definition of marijuana in the Control Substances Act.

While by law hemp differs from its cousin marijuana by THC content they are the same species of cannabis plant nature often doesnt draw a clear line. If hemp grows to be too high in THC, federal regulators require it be destroyed.

The legalization of hemp ushered in a new wave of production and brought an end to a gray area in which retailers had previously operated. Hemp is now used as an ingredient in everything from drink mixers to shampoo. Trade publication Hemp Industry Daily projects retail hemp sales in the U.S. will reach $3.9 billion this year, an increase of $1.6 billion over last year. Retail sales are expected to reach nearly $6.3 billion in 2022.

But farmers have so far struggled to launch the crop in Texas, where the climate differs from that of northern states from which they order seeds.

Last summers harvest was the first in Texas, and since then Bayou City has processed hemp from a half-dozen farmers and expects to add to that list as more figure out better seed sourcing and how to grow under Texas conditions.

Bayou City Hemp employee Cameron Gonzales uses the CO2 extractor to pull oil from the hemp plant on Thursday, June 24, 2021, in Houston.Bayou City Hemp is one of the largest hemp manufacturing outposts to launch since Texas legalized hemp in 2019. Founding executives left the oil and gas industry after the bill passed and got into the growing CBD industry.

Self-funded, and with investments from friends and family (they declined to say just how much), Sherman and Meggs brought on Karen Trotter, who previously worked financing oil and gas startups as the companys chief financial officer to make sure they had the capital they needed to hit the ground running. More than two dozen people now work at the company, ranging from chemists and equipment operators to marketing and accounting professionals.

The partners started outfitting their Park Row lab last summer and started seeing product in September. Were still in startup mode, Trotter said.

To that end, Bayou City is helping Texas farmers source more successful seeds, advising them on how to grow and helping them with testing in addition to the eventual extraction and processing.

Theres no playbook for this, Sherman said.

Its an industry that didnt exist before, Meggs said.

Texas hemp farmers have struggled so far to yield full harvests, citing poor seed genetics and issues with insects and mold. Hemp prices also crashed in 2019 as farmers clamored to plant the newly legal cash crop and overproduction reigned.

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The bottom fell out as soon as we were ready to go to market, said Scott Meiers, co-owner and president Texas Premium Hemp Producers in Brenham.

Meiers, a cattle farmer, said he almost gave up on hemp last year because it was so challenging to grow and difficult to make a profit. His mind changed when he saw how CBD gummies helped his nephew, who is autistic and, until that point, nonverbal.

He came up and patted me on the back and said, Good job while I was barbecuing, Meiers recalled. I about cried. It really, really changed his life.

When Meiers decided to give it another go, Bayou City Hemp helped him better source his seeds and supplied him with hemp products to sell on the farm to help make ends meet until he could sell his own hemp. Meiers said he expected to harvest his first crop next month.

Calvin Trostle, an agronomist with Texas A&M, said in a recent university publication the hemp industry in Texas will take time to research and perfect. And costs will need to come down in order for it to take off as a cash crop.

As an alternative crop, the hemp industry in Texas is still in its infancy, Trostle said. There is a massive amount of education going on, but were still trying to determine what varieties are adaptive so that we can help producers avoid headaches.

Bayou City Hemp CFO Karen Trotter opens the rotary evaporator, which creates winterized extracted hemp oil, during a tour of their facilities on Thursday, June 24, 2021, in Houston.Bayou City Hemp is one of the largest hemp manufacturing outposts to launch since Texas legalized hemp in 2019. Founding executives left the oil and gas industry after the bill passed and got into the growing CBD industry.

When it came to building the lab, Sherman and Meggs said they took the high road, outfitting it according to the good manufacturing practices standard in the medical industry and creating an internal system that scans and tracks every batch of CBD oil it creates.

We wanted to plan for FDA regulation, said Sherman, who recruited an extraction expert with 40 years of experience with Dow Chemical to be chief operating officer as well as a general manager with more than a decade of experience in cannabis extraction in other states.

Bayou City also opted to use a carbon dioxide process as a cleaner way to extract hemp oil from the plant. Less expensive ethanol-based methods used in the industry yield hazardous waste, they said, while extracting with carbon dioxide leaves behind plant matter still high in protein that research pending may be used as cattle feed.

Our COO uses it in his garden and he says his broccoli has never been bigger, Trotter said.

Extracting CBD oils from the hemp plant is a multi-step process. The first is removing stems from the hemp flower and putting it through a grinder, yielding a fine powder. Then, staff at Bayou City heat it to activate the cannabinoids inside, readying them for extraction.

Fats and waxes get separated in the lab, resulting in an oil they then distill three times to increase potency and remove impurities, ending up with a purity of around 80 percent. In a reactor room, they prepare an isolate that is 99 percent pure.

For those that prefer some THC in their CBD, they leave it in, labeling it as a full-spectrum oil. For others, they remove it and label it a broad-spectrum oil. Some want the cannabis-like effects, so they convert it to what is known as delta-8 THC, an intoxicating molecule similar to the THC in marijuana but with a different atomic structure.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Largest-yet expansion of Texas medical marijuana program advances in Legislature

Kristen Nichols, editor of Hemp Industry Daily, said delta-8 appears to bind less readily to cannabinoid receptors in the brain, producing milder results than the type of THC that is illegal federally and regulated only by state cannabis laws.

Nichols said she at first considered delta-8 a cheap knock-off, a loophole people are exploiting.

I have since had my mind changed, she said. There are folks who want an in-between.

Full cannabis extraction would be a welcome pivot for the business, Meggs said, as the product is less expensive to work with and they can sell it for about three times more than CBD. But first, Texas needs to go the route of its neighbors and legalize it.

Were excited for that day, Meggs said. But for now, were living in CBD world.

amanda.drane@chron.com

Twitter.com/amandadrane

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Massive Houston hemp facility has its eyes on a cannabis-infused future - Houston Chronicle

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Review: 22Red’s CBD Isolate Tincture is Worth the Price – Your Money Geek

Posted: at 1:24 pm

Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of over 100 chemical compounds found in the Cannabis sativa plant and it can be found in a variety of different forms from topical creams, gummies, capsules, to oils and tinctures. While most people think of CBD as a recreational treat, most people see it as an alternative form of medicine and use it to treat epilepsy, chronic pain, and even anxiety.

If you arent familiar with CBD tinctures, there is a key distinction between tinctures and oils. A tincture is an alcohol-based extract that uses high-proof alcohol as a solvent to extract the natural compounds of the cannabis plant. Whereas CBD oils are typically made with just two ingredients: CBD and carrier oil. Because of this, CBD tinctures have a much higher bioavailability compared to CBD oil.

22Red was founded by LA-based musician Shavo Odadjian in 2018 as a culmination of his pursuit to merge his passions for music, fashion, and cannabis into one space. His affinity for numerology inspired the name, citing the fact that 22 possesses the energies of your biggest dreams and invites you to work ardently on your life path and purpose. 22Red offers a wide range of cruelty and pesticide-free hemp-derived CBD products that have been tested in a 3rd-party lab.

We checked out 22Reds CBD isolate tincture, which is a premium tincture that combines pure CBD isolate, extracted from USA-Grown hemp with organic MCT oil to facilitate sublingual application. That means you can apply a few drops of the tincture under your tongue to get the maximum impact.

You can also choose between an unflavored tincture which is perfect for adding to salad dressings or your morning coffee or you can pick up a flavor-infused tincture that tastes like watermelon or mint. Yes, you can safely add this tincture to your morning coffee to help ease anxiety or pain because 22Reds CBD is non-intoxicating and contains less than 0.2mg of THC.

As with anything that can be used for medicinal purposes, you should always check with your doctor before treating your own medical conditions, especially if you are taking medication that may interact with CBD. Most people react well to CBD, though it may still cause mild side effects such as drowsiness, changes in appetite, and irritability. 22Reds tincture, while potent, shouldnt cause any serious interactions with your day-to-day life.

Overall 22Reds CBD seems to be worth the price. For $80, youre getting 3000mg of CBD per bottle, which is roughly 100mg per serving. The tincture comes in a black-out bottle to prevent degradation and it comes with a dropper to facilitate application. The flavor-infused tincture is very mild, which is great because you dont necessarily want an overpowering flavor when youre trying to relax.

If you are looking to explore CBD to treat what ails you, 22Reds products should be at the top of your list. You can rest assured with the knowledge that youre getting a product from a team that is dedicated to quality and customer satisfaction.

22Red CBD Isolate Tincture80.00

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Review: 22Red's CBD Isolate Tincture is Worth the Price - Your Money Geek

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CBD and rugby: Why are the sport’s biggest names turning to cannabis products? – BBC Sport

Posted: at 1:24 pm

Finn Russell uses it to help him sleep. Jerome Kaino takes some to ease knee pain. While Jim Hamilton needs it to cope with the aches he still lives with five years after retiring.

Cannabidiol, or CBD, is relied on by the British and Irish Lions fly-half, the two-time All Black World Cup winner, and the former Scotland lock - among many others - to manage the pain inflicted by the brutality of the sport.

But what is it? How does it work? And is it safe? In the first of a two-part series, BBC Scotland examines the role of the cannabis extract in rugby.

Rugby is one of the most physically demanding sports there is. And, with players getting bigger and stronger all the time, the pressure on their bodies continues to grow, particularly in a crowded calendar.

Strength and conditioning, nutrition, and sleep are the main methods of recovery. But often that's not enough, so players turn to painkillers ranging from common anti-inflammatory tablets, to powerful opioids such as tramadol.

Kaino, who won the World Cup with New Zealand in 2011 and 2015 and is known for his thumping tackles, "always" used anti-inflammatories to back up training sessions and matches.

"You'd be surprised at the numbers of players that do resort to those or the odd stronger painkiller to try to get rid of a few bumps and bruises," the 38-year-old tells BBC Scotland.

"I had a huge reaction to anti-inflammatories. I'd always have gut problems but to be able to get the joints feeling right I had to be able to take them every now and then."

Former Scotland and Saracens second-row Hamilton still lives with pain years after retiring. He too, has suffered from the adverse effects of painkillers.

"I lived on them," he says. "Especially at the back end of my career, I was taking anti-inflammatories daily. Almost like a course of vitamins just to get through the week. And because of that I still carry around gut pain."

Hamilton says he witnessed team-mates become addicted to opioids, given how easily accessible they were.

The culture in rugby has changed in the last five years, and it is much harder for players to get hold of those stronger substances, but the pain inflicted by the sport remains, which leaves players searching for alternatives.

CBD oil has proven to be one of the most popular.

Scotland and Racing 92 fly-half Finn Russell is a user and advocate for CBD. He has invested in a company selling the product founded by his former Glasgow team-mates Adam Ashe and Grayson Hart.

Russell takes CBD oil before he goes to bed at night, and sometimes when he wakes up, particularly in the days after a game. One of the main benefits he describes is a better sleep.

"I sleep the whole night rather than stop-start," the 28-year-old tells BBC Scotland. "I get a more stable and consistent sleep.

"It'll be different for everyone. It doesn't kill the pain there and then but it allows me to get a good night's sleep so the next day I'm feeling a lot better."

Hamilton and Kaino - neither of whom have a business interest in CBD - have noticed a similar improvement in their sleep, but also other effects.

"If I have a big training session, I get a lot of inflammation and a bit of fluid build up in the knees - that's where I've seen the biggest improvement," says Kaino.

The back-row also credits the product with prolonging his career, having recently won the Champions Cup with Toulouse at the age of 38 despite playing in one of the most physically demanding positions on the pitch.

"The last few years I've had a few operations and niggling injuries in the knees, elbows, and shoulders. CBD has 100% had a huge impact and input in being able to maintain my level of playing the last couple of years."

Liverpool John Moores University did a study last year in which 517 professional rugby players were asked about CBD use. The majority had never used it, but a quarter had at some point, and 8% continued to do so.

Professor Graeme Close worked on the study and is also an advisor to the England team. He says the biggest concern is a lack of education around the risks of an anti-doping breach, despite CBD itself not being on Wada's banned list.

Just under three quarters of those using CBD products said they got information about them from the internet, with 61% getting advice from another team-mate and 16% consulting a nutritionist.

"The fact players aren't getting qualified advice is worrying," Professor Close explains. "Being quite a new product, we're still not fully aware of the safety profile of CBD. There really aren't any long-term studies."

These concerns are reflected in the stance taken by most rugby unions and clubs.

Players employed by Scottish Rugby are banned from promoting CBD products and are encouraged to assess the risks and need to take them, along with any other supplement they might consider using.

Some companies providing CBD products have their offerings tested by three different labs across Europe in order to ensure there is no THC. And while small amounts of it are permitted, other cannabinoids are not.external-link

"In the hemp plant there's well over 100 cannabinoids," says Professor Close. "Only one of them isn't prohibited by Wada and all the others are.

"So if an athlete is taking CBD, we need to know that they're taking it from a source where we know there are no other cannabinoids in there that would fail an anti-doping test."

The company Informed Sport tests supplements and is commonly considered as the gold standard for products in the UK, but they currently do not accept CBD products. It remains to be convinced of its safety from a doping perspective.

But the industry is predicted to be worth $20bn (14bn) by 2024, and athletes across sports continue to use, promote and invest in CBD products.

"When I was younger, instead of taking drugs I would go down the herbal route," Russell says. "So it's similar to that. I've had that my whole life and it's just another level of it for me in the current stage of my career.

"It's come from a plant so what's to say it's any different from other things that you get? It's up to the individual what they want to do, but for me I've got no concerns about taking it and I'll continue taking it."

Could CBD become 'like protein shakes'? Find out more in part two on Thursday

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