Florida’s Supreme Court rendered a ruling on April 1, 2024, permitting an initiative aiming to legalize recreational cannabis to be included on the state’s November ballot. Two justices dissented from the measure, while five justices were in support of it.
The proposed measure would allow anybody who is 21 years of age or older to own, purchase or use cannabis products and accessories for their own personal use, including smoking, ingesting or using in other ways. It also authorizes medical-marijuana treatment facilities and other licensed businesses to carry out operations such as purchasing, growing, processing, producing, selling and distributing accessories and products.
The legislation faces opposition from a large number of Republicans, including the office of the state attorney general, necessitating 60% approval from voters to pass. Justice Jamie R. Grosshans explained the court’s position, reiterating that the amendment complies with constitutional criteria and is presented in an understandable manner.
Grosshans, appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis, emphasized the court’s limited role, confined to assessing single-subject conformity, clarity of the ballot summary and facial validity under the federal constitution. Consequently, he noted that the court approved the proposed amendment for inclusion on the ballot based on these limitations.
The legality of cannabis varies by state, with more than 40 states allowing its usage for either medical or recreational purposes.
One of the initiative’s supporters, Smart and Safe Florida, expressed satisfaction with the court’s ruling, emphasizing how pleased it was with the ballot’s lucid language and the chance it gave voters to weigh in on this important issue.
While the offices of the governor and the state attorney general did not immediately comment on the ruling, it’s notable that the attorney general had previously opposed the initiative, arguing that it was misleading.
In addition to the cannabis legalization initiative, the court also addressed abortion-related matters. It upheld a 15-week abortion ban, meaning a previously signed six-week ban by Governor DeSantis will now be enforced. However, the court ruled in favor of including a proposed amendment aimed at safeguarding abortion rights in the state constitution on the ballot.
During his reelection campaign, President Joe Biden criticized Florida’s abortion prohibition in a memo, suggesting that his administration will bring abortion rights to the forefront of the political agenda in November. This move was seen as potentially advantageous for Biden, with the state, previously won by former President Donald Trump, now considered within Biden’s reach.
If the voters in Florida approve the legalization of recreational cannabis, the launch of that market could open opportunities for not just cannabis companies but ancillary ones as well operating akin to companies such as Innovative Industrial Properties Inc. (NYSE: IIPR).
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In 2021, the United Nations World Food Programme’s Hunger Map estimated that 957 million people across 93 countries did not have enough to eat. Yet, six years earlier, a study by the Global Forest Expert Panel on Forests and Food Security concluded food forests could play a role in complementing agricultural production.
How Food Forests Work
Key to protecting biodiversity and mitigating climate change, a forest’s contribution to alleviating hunger is not well known or fully understood by many. Yet, forested gardens have produced enough to feed entire communities for thousands of years. For example, in Morocco, the food forest of Inraren is over 2,000 years old and still produces edibles.
Unlike mass-produced crops, food forests use permaculture practices focused on small-scale food production. This model is ideal for small towns, remote communities with limited access to fresh produce, and urban neighbourhoods. The forests adhere to what Bill Mollison, the “Father of Permaculture,” described as the conscious design and maintenance of agriculturally productive systems with natural ecosystems’ diversity, stability, and resilience. The forests harmoniously integrate into the landscape with people, providing food, energy, and shelter in sustainable ways.
Unlike traditional community garden plots managed by an individual or small group, food forests are three-dimensional edible arboretums often set within a communal landscape. This invites a collective approach to design, maintenance, and food sharing that refers to when communities worked together and weren’t dependent upon imported goods or unreliable supply chains.
In the Browns Mill region of southeast Atlanta, the city manages a growing 2,800-hectare food forest that invites the public to take what they need at no cost. In Spain, the edible forest of Juan Anton Mora was established 20 years ago with an open-door policy. In Canada, these edible gardens of Eden are being planted as hubs of learning and community and provide hope that food equity everywhere is possible.
The Seven Natural Layers of a Food Forest
A food forest mimics natural patterns, extending vertically and horizontally with seven distinctive layers. The overstory, or canopy, is created by tall fruit and nut-producing trees. A layer of dwarf fruit trees follows, and berry-producing shrubs come next. Herbaceous plants transition to a layer of edible ground cover that functions as living mulch. Below the soil surface, root vegetables grow in the rhizosphere. Finally, a vertical layer of vines and climbing plants grow up the tall tree trunks, seeking the sun. If mushrooms are grown, they are considered a separate mycelial eighth layer.
Plants are predominantly perennial or self-seeding, returning each growing season independently. Once established, nut-producing trees live for hundreds of years, and berry bushes for a decade or more. In a food forest, no irrigation or fertilizer is used. Natural drainage, groundwater, and precipitation supply water needs, helping balance maintenance and costs.
Fields are often left fallow after harvesting annually grown crops, allowing the soil to rest and rejuvenate. The same does not occur in a food forest. If a plant fails, it can decompose naturally, releasing bacteria and fungi that add to fertilization and soil health. The diversity of what is planted means less competition for the same resource. Species that require more water to grow are likely to be placed near natural drainage areas at the bottom of a slope or close to a stream bed, while more drought-tolerant plants are grown elsewhere.
Fredericton’s Botanic Garden
Fredericton’s Botanic Garden food forest started as a small orchard in New Brunswick, Canada. Simi Usvyatsov, a volunteer at the garden, knew of food forests in other parts of the province and saw the potential of what the orchard could become. Working with the City, the Atlantic Permaculture Network, Fredericton Food Rescue, and the Botanic Garden Association, the project received a grant of $5,000. Last fall, an overstory layer of chestnut, hazelnut, and butternut trees was planted, forming three sides of a rectangle that will function as a sun trap for a grape arbor. The shrub layer will include Nanking cherry, highbush cranberry, gooseberry, and haskap.
Stephen Heard, a biology professor at the University of New Brunswick and President of the Fredericton Botanic Garden Association, sees the project as a learning opportunity more than a place to harvest and formally distribute food. He likes the idea of people being able to pick and gather what they want when visiting the forest. Still, he says the more exciting part of the project is the potential to educate visitors about permaculture and locally sustainable food production.
Vancouver Urban Forest Foundation (VUFF)
Imagine orchards encircled with salmon, salal, and oso berry bushes native to British Columbia’s south coast. A canopy of oak and chestnut trees relieves fiddlehead ferns from the hot sun.Rhubarb lines pathways, and fields of wild asparagus and sunflowers attract insect pollinators, bees, and butterflies; this is VUFF’s vision for every park throughout the city.
In alignment with Vancouver Park Board’s Local Food System Action Plan, which encourages strengthening food networks within city neighborhoods, Marie-Pierre Bilodeau, Operations Coordinator for VUFF, says they are cultivating a sharing ideology. VUFF advocates shared decision-making concerning food sovereignty, what is planted, and how it’s managed and harvested, engaging with community members, groups, and neighborhood houses. People will be able to come and harvest freely. Volunteer groups will manage tasks, maintenance, and crops with the overall goal of serving the community.
Saskatchewan
Muskeg Lake Cree First Nation in northern Saskatchewan has struggled with the availability of fresh produce. Shipping costs are expensive, which results in higher food prices for what is available. When asked how the community saw a food-secure future, the collective answer was to rebuild connections to the land and focus on traditional growing practices that sustained them for thousands of years.
In 2018, the community planted a 2.5-acre food forest, collaborating with the non-profit Feed the Children. Berry harvests are used for public events, and by 2025, fruit and nut trees will be producing enough for the entire community to enjoy regularly. Ground cherries and gooseberries form the shrub layer. Mints, herbs, red and purple clover, rye, and other grasses create a lawn that enriches the soil and chokes weeds.
Steven Wigg, permaculturist and Food Security and Climate Change Supervisor at Muskeg Lake, says a small, dedicated community with a few acres of land could soon be self-reliant for their fruit, herbs, starch, and a large portion of their vegetables.
Food forests are altering how communities view food production. By planting and growing according to the needs of the natural world, they remind us that if we just let it, our fragile planet will happily and successfully supply all we ask of it.
Legislators in Germany are focused on creating a pilot program for the commercial sale of marijuana. This comes after the country legalized the possession and cultivation of marijuana for personal use last week. Under the new law, social clubs where individuals could join and acquire cannabis are set for launch in July.
In its statement, the Federal Ministry of Health stated that preparation work on the next pillar of the marijuana laws was underway with relevant departments. He also noted, however, that no specifics cold be shared at the time.
Karl Lauterbach, the health minister who has championed for marijuana legalization, stated in the Bundestag last year that government officials were assessing the commercial sales measure. Now that the law is in effect, pressure to hasten commercial sales has increased.
Free Democratic Party’s Kristine Lütke stated that establishing a commercial program for the drug was a need, noting that she looked forward to Lauterbach presenting a draft that would address this need. Lütke then acknowledged that follow-up sales measures would face higher resistance in the Bundesrat, which represents individual states.
It is expected that the measure will be exposed to potential pushbacks and criticism, primarily because dispensaries would gain visibility. In the past, the Bundesrat tried preventing the legalization measure from being enacted but failed. Despite this, members of the legislative body entered an agreement with other ministers as well as Lauterbach, refusing to refer the marijuana measure to a mediation committee because this would’ve delayed implementation.
The Green Party’s Kirsten Kappert-Gonther stated that she agreed that commercial sales were important in creating alternatives to the black market and minimizing health risk for occasional users.
The measure to legalize commercial sales will be unveiled after submission to the European Commission for review. Germany’s government wanted to obtain signoff from the European Union after approving the initial framework for a legalization bill to ensure that enacting the bill wouldn’t violate any global obligations.
In 2022, officials in government flagged off hearings focused on informing the bill to eliminate marijuana prohibition in Germany. That same year, a group of legislators from Germany as well as Narcotics Drugs Commissioner Burkhard Blienert visited the United States and toured marijuana businesses in California to inform their nation’s approach to legalization. This came after a global survey in 2022 determined that most support for marijuana’s legalization was from European nations such as Germany.
The next year, officials from different nations including the U.S., met in Germany to discuss global cannabis policy issues. As the recreational market for marijuana takes off and expands, major players based in other regions of the world, such as Aurora Cannabis Inc. (NASDAQ: ACB) (TSX: ACB), could take an interest in any opportunities that arise to enter the lucrative German market.
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Developed under Lavish Entertainment, a wholly owned subsidiary of GTVH, Destino Ranch will be a one-of-a-kind destination that revolutionizes the concept of an immersive music and art venue.
Phase one development begins after the execution of a land-use-and-development agreement outlining exclusive rights to purchase, use and operate the nearly 70-acre property. Additional upgrades on the initial property secured will “dramatically increase speed into the market.”
Marco Moreno has been appointed as president of Lavish Entertainment to spearhead the development of Destino Ranch. Mr. Moreno has notable experience in the large-scale event development industry with high-fidelity collaborations through his company ABI Create.
Two months ago, Golden Triangle Ventures (OTC: GTVH) and its entertainment division, Lavish Entertainment, announced plans to develop a one-of-a-kind immersive entertainment venue (https://cnw.fm/rPguv). In the past few weeks, GTVH and Lavish have made significant progress in transforming into reality the vision for the premier destination for year-round, world-class music, entertainment and art.
“The development of Destino Ranch ushers in a new and beyond-amazing chapter for Lavish Entertainment,” said Steffan Dalsgaard, CEO of GTV and founder of Lavish Entertainment. The companies “truly believe this flagship project will be a one-of-a-kind location and resort that revolutionizes what people think of as a music and art venue. Our plan is to develop a world-renowned destination that offers a superior level of amenities, services, exhibits and attractions, along with so much more than just a festival ground.”
Since the announcement of Destino Ranch, a planned 638-acre property conveniently located within a short drive from large population centers such as Phoenix, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Lavish Entertainment has officially activated the first phase of development (https://cnw.fm/FfwIo). This phase includes the execution of a land-use-and-development agreement outlining exclusive rights to use and operate on the property.
Phase one development will focus on developing the first nearly 70-acres of land that already has in place substantial infrastructure features, such as special-event permits, graded roads, fencing, storage, septic, solar, landscaping, and water and irrigation rights. Further development in phase one will include site event plans and permitting, site prep and cleanout, staff infrastructure and housing, a temporary power grid, and event features and infrastructure.
In addition, last month Lavish Entertainment announced that it has executed a purchase agreement to acquire this first, nearly-70 acres of land that the company recently secured, which is prime and improved property for the Destino project (https://cnw.fm/PrK4N). The company noted that the upgrades were valued at nearly $6 million, which “has turned this once-vacant land into a beautiful oasis that provides the initial infrastructure needed to begin the development of Destino Ranch.”
Lavish Entertainment president Marco Moreno stated: “With a strong background of delivering high-fidelity productions to notable large-scale installations such as EDC and the Super Bowl, Destino Ranch is the culmination of more than a decade of experience in the planning and execution of large-scale event projects and production. Our goal is to provide guests with memorable and life-changing experiences that captivate their minds for years to come. As we anticipate Destino Ranch becoming a globally renowned attraction, we are proud to showcase the launch of this project and look forward to sharing more exciting developments with our shareholders in the weeks ahead.”
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to GTVH are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/GTVH
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CannabisNewsWire (“CNW”) is a specialized communications platform with a focus on cannabis news and the cannabis sector. It is one of 60+ brands within the Dynamic Brand Portfolio @ IBN that delivers: (1) access to a vast network of wire solutions via InvestorWire to efficiently and effectively reach a myriad of target markets, demographics and diverse industries; (2) article and editorial syndication to 5,000+ outlets; (3) enhanced press release enhancement to ensure maximum impact; (4) social media distribution via IBN to millions of social media followers; and (5) a full array of tailored corporate communications solutions. With broad reach and a seasoned team of contributing journalists and writers, CNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that want to reach a wide audience of investors, influencers, consumers, journalists and the general public. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, CNW brings its clients unparalleled recognition and brand awareness. CNW is where breaking news, insightful content and actionable information converge.
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The OCS says they have seen a decline in the number of high-THC products in its catalogue after launching a testing program earlier this year.
The Ontario Cannabis Store launched its temporary THC testing program on January 4, 2024. Under the program, the provincial cannabis wholesaler has been selecting high-THC cultivars coming into its warehouse for secondary testing.
Any products with secondary testing results inconsistent with the THC levels posted on their label are subject to further scrutiny, including a potential return-to-vendor for re-labelling.
A representative from OCS tells StratCann that several products it carries have also been re-labelled with lower THC ranges since the program began.
While research often shows that the THC percentage in most cannabis flower is in the high teens to low twenties, increasingly, many cannabis flowers on the market advertise having well over 30 percent, something considered statistically improbable but not impossible.
“The purpose of the OCS’s temporary THC testing program is to gather information and evaluate industry reports of inaccurate THC label claims on legal cannabis products. We look forward to leveraging our findings to further engage government and industry partners in support of testing and sampling standards.”
OCS spokesperson
The goal, says OCS, is to not only check against specific label claims but also to evaluate the larger claims and concerns that many cannabis products, especially cannabis flower products, have highly inflated THC levels on their labels.
“The OCS will not share commercially sensitive information publicly,” said the spokesperson in an email . “The purpose of the OCS’s temporary THC testing program is to gather information and evaluate industry reports of inaccurate THC label claims on legal cannabis products. We look forward to leveraging our findings to further engage government and industry partners in support of testing and sampling standards.”
The OCS covers the cost of testing, which is done through a third-party lab. Any products within an acceptable range of variance (±15%) will be released for sale. Note: “±15%” refers to the variance from the label claim; it does not refer to actual percentage points. For example, a product labeled at 20% THC could be allowed to fall within about 17-23% THC because 15% of 20% is 3%.
Producers whose product falls outside of that range have five days to dispute any results that find their product’s true THC level is not aligned with what is stated on the label.
If disputed, the OCS will send it back to the same third-party lab for more testing. If it fails again, the product will be sent back to the producer at their cost.
Winton also says the OCS has not included product calls for High THC products in its last seven Assortment Needs Bulletins, which are published four times a year before each product call launch.
“The OCS is committed to working with government and industry partners to ensure consumers have confidence in legal cannabis products. We thank our network of Licensed Producers for their patience and cooperation as we continue to roll out this new temporary program.”
Concerns around inflated THC numbers have prompted many in the industry, from labs to producers, consumers, and retailers, to call on the federal and even provincial governments to do more to ensure that THC levels reported on labels are accurate.
In 2023, Rob O’Brien, the CEO and CSO of Supra Research and Development in Kelowna, BC, shared his independent testing results online from 46 different cannabis products he purchased from BC Cannabis Stores.
As part of the program, Health Canada’s Regulatory Operations and Enforcement Branch (ROEB) Cannabis Laboratory will randomly purchase cannabis products from authorized retailers in Canada. It will also work with various law enforcement agencies to test samples of illicit cannabis products.
Health Canada routinely inspects cannabis facilities and conducts secondary testing on cannabis but maintains it does not inspect cannabis labs that provide the results used by these cannabis producers.
“Elevate yourself above the battlefield.” ~Robert Greene.
Life is a battle. It’s a battle against bewitchment. It’s a battle against sloth. It’s a battle against the pollution of the mind, body, and soul. Most of all, it’s a battle against entropy.
You are going to die. There’s no wiggling out of this absolute fact. In the meantime, you have your life. But everything in your life is at war against you. Entropy is ever present, eating away at what you think you own, slowly taking away what you think is yours.
As James Salter said, “There is no complete life. There are only fragments. We are born to have nothing, to have it pour through our hands.”
You turn away from entropy, again and again. You distract yourself with this or that task. You go on an adventure. You fall in love. You start a business. You start a family. You erect fortified comfort zones. But entropy will always be there, looming like a moth attracted to your fire. It smashes itself against all the shields you’ve erected. It outflanks you, an abyss you dare not stare into.
In the slow war with entropy, it will steal your adventure. It will eat away at your love. It will dismantle your business. It will separate your family. It will topple your walls. Death is always there, a looming specter. It whispers into your ear, “Live!” it says, “I am coming.”
“Live!” it says. But how best to do that on a battlefield? Is it better to ignore it and curl up in a ball at the center of your comfort zone? Is it better to cling to what you know, to pacify yourself, and lean on outdated religions? Is it better to escape through drugs or other addictions?
Or is it better to rise above it all and transcend your attachments with a good sense of humor?
The battlefield doesn’t have to be a warzone filled with dead bodies and hyperviolence. It can just as easily be your life. It can just as easily be you against death, you against your own mortal angst, you against God.
On a long enough timeline there is no timeline, at least regarding your own. Which is why it behooves you to live your best life. To utilize a sound strategy, especially in the face of tragedy. And the soundest strategy is elevated nonattachment.
As Seneca said, “It does not matter what you bear, but how you bear it.”
On any battlefield, it is always wise to elevate yourself above it. To gain a bird’s-eye-view. To go big picture to see how all the small pictures clash. To go Meta to see how everything connects to everything else. To gain perspective despite your fallible perception.
You elevate to prioritize what matters and what doesn’t. To figure out what to give a fuck about and what to let slide. As Rumi said, “The art of knowing is knowing what to ignore.”
The great part is that what’s important and fulfilling is entirely up to you. But there will always be consequences for your choices. There will always be the greater law of the universe to contend with. Better to align what you give a fuck about with the healthy dictates of the cosmos so as to avoid the unhealthy consequences of ignoring them.
You elevate to understand the difference between healthy and unhealthy. To distinguish between written manmade laws and unwritten universal laws. To discover why written laws shrivel into nothingness beneath the primacy of the unwritten law of the interconnected cosmos. As Hermann Hesse said, “As anywhere else in the world, the unwritten law defeated the written one.”
You elevate to discover your own conscience as pure law. To become the personification of checks and balances. You see how the answer is teaching people how to become bigger than the law, how to gain the capacity to have their own conscience as pure law, and how to become a more valuable human.
As Niels Bohr said, “Every valuable human being must be a radical and a rebel, for what he must aim at is to make things better than they are.”
Because only elevated people with their own conscience as pure law will have the courage and humor needed to make things better than they are. Only elevated people with their own conscience as pure law will have the audacity to paint the universe red with their insouciant curiosity, to mock the sinister self-seriousness that outflanks them, and to create their own meaning.
You elevate to get ahead of the curve. Above the battlefield, you see how everything is on the curve. No exceptions. You’re able to develop a good sense of humor. You use it to level the battlefield. Bias is squashed. Circular reasoning is straightened. Cognitive dissonance is curtailed. Ideologies are flattened. Your mind opens wide to the vital difference between possibility and probability.
Self-as-world and world-as-self becomes the supreme perspective. Egocentrism is trumped by eco-centrism. One-dimensional independence is subsumed by multidimensional interdependence. You see how it’s okay to shed outdated skin. To cut the dead weight. To burn off the dross. Life is too short to waste precious energy on outdated concepts or living in regret. The past is the past. Elevated above the battlefield, you see how it’s okay to forgive yourself and forgive your ancestors for their ignorance. It’s okay to move on.
When you elevate yourself above the battlefield, the world opens, the fountainhead overflows, the Philosopher’s Stone reveals itself. It launches you past cultural conditioning, indoctrination, and brainwashing. And as the world opens up, so do you. Your mind opens. Your heart swells. Your soul unlocks. You become a sponge for higher knowledge, hungry and hopeful for novelty. Adaptable and improvisational, you become a dancing Lao Tzu Master.
Elevated above it all, your radical sense of humor transforms the battlefield into a daisy field. Hardheartedness is transformed into lightheartedness. Seriousness is transformed into sincerity. Nihilism is transformed into adaptability. Hubris is transformed into humility. Fear is transformed into fuel.
The absurdity of the cosmic joke is a blackhole sun? So be it. Elevated above the battlefield, you’re able to turn the tables on your existential angst and have a laugh.
Image source:Transcend by Oozium
About the Author:
Gary Z McGee, a former Navy Intelligence Specialist turned philosopher, is the author of Birthday Suit of God and The Looking Glass Man. His works are inspired by the great philosophers of the ages and his wide-awake view of the modern world.
This article (Everything is a Battlefield) was originally created and published by Self-inflicted Philosophy and is printed here under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Gary Z McGee and self-inflictedphilosophy.com. It may be re-posted freely with proper attribution, author bio, and this statement of copyright.
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