4 Things You Should Know About New Recreational Cannabis In Nevada

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Nevada’s new cannabis laws go into effect on July 1st.

This year alone the city has welcomed more than  17,000,000 visitors and that doesn’t even include the summer months.

Come July 1st Nevada locals and the millions of visitors age 21 and up will soon be able to walk into a dispensary and purchase cannabis similar to dispensaries in Denver. 

Here are four things you should know before making Nevada the next stop for your next canna vaycay. 

How much is this going to cost me? 

The wholesale tax that dispensaries pay when purchasing product has increased as part of Adult Use.  There will also be different taxes applied to transactions dependent upon whether you are a medical patient or a recreational customer. 

Where Does The Money Go? 

 

Revenue from the tax on Nevada’s recreational sales is projected to stimulate approximately $7.5 billion in economic activity in the first seven years of sales. That’s a lot of cash! So here’s where it’ll go.

The state’s Opportunity Scholarships are slated to receive a whopping $20 million boost. An additional $25 million is slated to go to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), with the remainder going to the State’s general fund. 

Do I Still Need My Medical Marijuana Card? 

Yes! It will save you money in the long run because medical cannabis products will be taxed at a lower rate than recreational sales. Beginning July 1st, recreational customers will have a 10% excise tax applied to their transactions. 

What’s the Legal Limit? 

State possession limits are still capped at 2.5 ounces for medical patients and 1 ounce for recreational consumers.

The current law that limits medical marijuana patients to 70 grams in a two-week period is also ending under the new provisions.

Planning a trip to Vegas? Check out CannabisInVegas.com for info on the top dispensaries and must have products in Sin City!

Everything You Need To Know About The D.C. Cannabis Scene

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Our nation’s capital legalized cannabis back in 2014, but there’s no tax-and-regulate system in place, meaning there’s still a long way to go before D.C. becomes the District of Cannabis.

Here at Social Media Unicorn, our team is constantly keeping our fingers on the pulse of cannabis scenes across the nation and abroad. If you’re heading to the District as a cannatourist, here are some tips you need to know.

Dispensaries Are All But Non Existent

Unlike California, Nevada, Colorado, and Oregon, all states where those 21+ can legally consume cannabis, D.C. cannabis laws are a bit more ambivalent. Today residents and visitors alike are bound by frustrating laws that allow possession, but prohibit sales. In short, scoring legal weed in D.C., while pretty easy, gives off the feel of an old school street deal, and arrests for still-illegal deals have hit pre-legalization levels.

The Facts on D.C. Cannabis Laws

It is legal for a person who is at least 21 years old to possess two ounces or less of marijuana, transfer one ounce or less of marijuana to another person who is at least 21 years old, however so no payment or any other type of exchange of goods or services. 

Statistics from the District of Columbia’s Metropolitan Police Department show a large increase in the number of distribution busts in 2016, with the 220 arrests more than doubling the number seen in 2013, the year before residents voted to loosen pot laws.

So, Selling Cannabis Is Still Illegal? 

In short, yes. While residents are welcome to cultivate up to six marijuana plants and possess marijuana-related  paraphernalia – like bongs or rolling papers, congress has blocked regulated dispensaries. So how do visitors legally obtain cannabis if you can’t buy it?

Tech Has Taken Care of That

“Marijuana events are going on all the time now,” the Gentleman Toker, a D.C. cannabis blog explained. Also, so-called weed “search engines” like LeafedIn also offer a way to find opportunities to get the gift of cannabis. 

Becoming a Unicorn

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The first month of a new career always brings fear and excitement.

I’m glad to say that here at Social Media Unicorn it has been a lot more excitement than fear. Everyone is great! Not only is my entire team fun to work with, they all have an in-depth knowledge of the cannabis culture and the wants and needs of the community we serve. With that being said, I am starting a weekly blog to inform and educate about the new innovative products, services, and happenings within our community. Stay tuned each week to see what this Unicorn is getting into 😉

Just recently, we had the pleasure of hosting a patient appreciation day for Tahoe Hydro Company with the lovely people over at Medizin. They operate one of the premier dispensaries that cater to Las Vegas and the surrounding areas. Medizin, unlike many other dispensaries, is also involved in cultivation. They have some award winning flowers like Chloe, one of the most medically beneficial strains that is offered in Las Vegas. We had a great time representing Tahoe Hydro Company while we were there. THC is a boutique cultivator out of Carson City, NV, that is sure to fit the needs and wants of any consumer out there. They have award winning strains: Blackjack (S), Gelato 45 (H), Tahoe Hydro OG (I), all winning their respective categories at the 2016 Jack Herer Cup. THC also just entered the preroll game with the introduction of their STIX line, currently offering Tahoe Hydro OG. Needless to say, they know what they are doing over there at Tahoe Hydro Company. We passed out tons of Tahoe swag and educated patients on our products and specials. It was great meeting and creating future Tahoe fans! I loved hearing all the positive feedback regarding our products. Huge thank you to Tanya and the whole crew at Medizin for making my first patient appreciation day a success!  

All in all, these first few weeks have been an adventure and a blessing. I’m so lucky to be surrounded by people who are so passionate about cannabis. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for me as a Unicorn. Be sure to tune in next week for my next post and mark your calendars for our upcoming events!

Las Vegas Social Media Day – Fri. 6/30

Follow Tahoe Hydro Company on IG @tahoehydroponics

Get updates from Medizin at http://medizinlv.com 

The Endocannabinoid System

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The Endocannabinoid System

An appropriately titled 2013 survey, “Ignorance Is Not Bliss,” revealed that only 13 percent of U.S. medical schools teach the endocannabinoid system to future doctors. With more and more patients are turning to it for relief, there’s certainly a need to be familiar with the endocannabinoid system.

The human endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a naturally-occurring network of receptors that is spread throughout the entire body. This system controls some of our most vital life functions, including our immune system, memory, appetite, sleep pattern, mood, and pain sensation.

The three main components of the endocannabinoid system are as follows:

  • Cannabinoid Receptors – found on the surface of cells
  • Endocannabinoids – small molecules that activate cannabinoid receptors
  • Metabolic Enzymes – break down endocannabinoids after they are used

There are currently two known major cannabinoid receptors; CB1 and CB2. Though they’re certainly not the only cannabinoid receptors, they were the first discovered and therefore remain the most-studied.

Unlike THC, endocannabinoids are naturally produced by cells within the human body. Like the plant cannabinoid THC, they are molecules that bind to and activate cannabinoid receptors.

The final piece of the endocannabinoid puzzle is comprised of the metabolic enzymes that quickly destroy endocannabinoids as soon as they are used. The enzymes responsible for this rapid breakdown are FAAH and MAGL. Their work ensures that endocannabinoids are used efficiently. This differentiates endocannabinoids from other molecular signals (such as hormones or classical neurotransmitters) which can persist for several seconds or minutes, or be stored for later use.

Of course, this is only a high-level overview of the human endocannabinoid system. Unfortunately, cannabis research is extremely limited – due to its federally illegal status – which prohibits government institutions (like the FDA) from conducting clinical studies. However, cannabis research is growing like a weed (pun intended) and each year, studies reveal even more about this intricate network within our bodies.

Priceless, Teamwork

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This is a story about teamwork. I just finished working on an oil project in northern Alberta. In the last week of work I moved 10 million dollars in equipment.  Now the equipment wasn’t big, It wasn’t heavy, but the internals in it were so delicate that every move was preplanned. Every member of the crew had their place throughout the job of moving and installing this equipment, from calling the lift with the crane operator, to holding the tagline so the equipment is controlled and doesn’t slam into anything.  We did critical lift meetings prior to moving the equipment each day, even if all we were doing was moving it from the shipping crate to a holding area for the team from Norway to make sure everything was working properly.  The job was completed without a hitch.  The team came together, no one was hurt, the equipment was installed and we all walked away knowing we did a job well done.
 
Fast forward to today and I may not be moving millions of dollars of equipment, however I am doing something just as important. Working with the Social Media Unicorn team, we need to plan, we need to work together and we need to have our own “Critical Lift” meetings.  Every client that we cater to expects exceptional work to be delivered.  We want to shine.  How do we do that? By working together. By treating every client and every task like you are moving a million dollars, which if it slips it could get damaged. When working as a team, no task is too menial. Every member of Social Media Unicorn has their tasks to perform and by working together and helping one another we can succeed and deliver the premier experience that is expected from our clients.  
 
The most important thing that I can teach is to take each day as a fresh start.  Go through that meeting, talk to whoever you need to on the team. Each team member is unique. Find out who will be the best asset each day to help you achieve your goals. Find out if anyone could use help in achieving their goals. Only with teamwork will we be able to succeed and thrive.

CANNABIS SALES 101: Give before you get

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Cannabis sales isn’t any different from selling any product to any consumer, but the cannabis community is too familiar with opportunistic sales representatives who don’t appreciate the basic concept of giving before you get. Under no circumstances should you EVER sell someone something on the first communication. EVER. Not in an email, not in a phone call, not in a newsletter, never ever. You always want to offer something of value or solve a problem before you ever approach the conversation about conducting business. 

I had a great example of this just today when I received a message from a stranger on my LinkedIN profile. As a social media influencer I am approached dozens of times every day to share things, to buy things, or just to help. I love helping. It’s part of my small town DNA to consider community before self, but there is a reality of being CEO of three different companies and that is that time is the most valuable commodity I have to offer the world. So, I opened my LinkedIN profile to receive a lovely message offering to sell me an advertising platform, banking, and financial options. Oh wait- I’m in the cannabis industry. So, none of what you are selling me applies to me. How could new random stranger have discovered this? Perhaps the headline in my LinkedIN profile? Or maybe the summary of what I do? Chances we are going to do business: slim to none and get your spam out of my inbox. 

The cannabis industry is the fastest growing industry in America today and in explosive growth markets like Nevada even crappy cannabis sales representatives can make a fortune, but I beg you: don’t be that crappy cannabis sales rep. You deserve better, your brand deserves better, and you can achieve so much more when you raise the standard. Be the exception to the sales rule and provide value. Give before you get and you’ll get so much more in the end.