{"componentChunkName":"component---common-build-tags-template-js","path":"/tag/event/","result":{"data":{"allArticle":{"edges":[{"node":{"id":"Article_2852-markdown","title":"Scents & Sensuality: A HelloMD Event","slug":"scents-and-sensuality-a-hellomd-event","content":"Last week, HelloMD hosted an event called Scents & Sensuality in San Francisco at the Phoenix Hotel, where rock legends like Neil Young and Debby Harry stayed in years past. \n\nThe evening featured cannabis brands Marley Natural and Garden Society, essential oils producer doTERRA, and psychotherapist and sexuality expert Meriana Dinkova. After mingling and learning more about cannabis and the plant’s various aromas and scents, guests were treated to a short talk from Meriana about how marijuana can make for a more sensual time in the bedroom.\n\n\n_HelloMD's Pamela Hadfield with sexpert Meriana Dinkova; a guest enjoys Marley Natural's cannabis booth._\n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\n\nGuests began the evening with a cocktail hour where they were able to talk to representatives from Marley Natural about their high-quality cannabis flower; cutting-edge vape cartridges, including one [featuring the hard-to-find cannabinoid delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol](https://hellomd.com/articles/what-is-delta-8-thc-and-whats-it-good-for); and gorgeous eco-friendly wood accessories. \n\n### Learning About Cannabis Terpenes\n\n\n\nGarden Society (pictured above right), maker of gourmet cannabis edibles, set up a terpene and scent station with help from doTERRA (above left). Guests learned about different terpenes in cannabis, such as:\n\n* Citrusy and uplifting [limonene](https://www.hellomd.com/articles/know-your-cannabis-terpenes-limonene)\n* Musky and spicy myrcene\n* Earthy and sweet [pinene](https://hellomd.com/articles/know-your-terpenes-pinene)\n* Floral and soothing [linalool](https://hellomd.com/articles/know-your-cannabis-terpenes-linalool)\n* Earthy and zesty [beta-caryophellene](https://hellomd.com/articles/know-your-terpenes-beta-caryophyllene)\n\nRELATED: [3 POPULAR QUESTIONS ABOUT MARIJUANA & TERPENES ANSWERED](https://hellomd.com/articles/3-popular-questions-about-marijuana-and-terpenes-answered)\n\nBy smelling the essential oils that contain the same terpenes as different marijuana strains, guests began to understand the various components of the cannabis plant and how terpenes, along with cannabinoids like tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), combine to impart certain effects. \n\n\n\nBy better understanding terpenes and how to identify them when buying cannabis and cannabis products, folks will be able to choose the marijuana that provides the effects that they want, helping them avoid some cannabis trial and error. \n\n### Marijuana for a Better Time in the Bedroom\n\n\n\nAfter the educational happy hour, Merina took to the stage to share how she discovered cannabis helped her in the bedroom. For her and many of her clients, marijuana not only relaxes the body and mind, but also allows them to be more present in the moment to truly connect with their partner. \n\nPhoto credit: [Kai Oberhäuser](https://unsplash.com/@memoryonsounds)\n\nIf you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://hellomd.com/articles/cannabis-101-what-you-need-to-know-about-marijuana/) index of articles. [HelloMD](https://hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's easy, private and 100% online.","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3605442176870748,"src":"/static/673dece10c7974f2013b2dc8a1ae3b31/14b42/44382d70c3aac04c8938975d80a31beb.jpg","srcSet":"/static/673dece10c7974f2013b2dc8a1ae3b31/f836f/44382d70c3aac04c8938975d80a31beb.jpg 200w,\n/static/673dece10c7974f2013b2dc8a1ae3b31/2244e/44382d70c3aac04c8938975d80a31beb.jpg 400w,\n/static/673dece10c7974f2013b2dc8a1ae3b31/14b42/44382d70c3aac04c8938975d80a31beb.jpg 800w,\n/static/673dece10c7974f2013b2dc8a1ae3b31/47498/44382d70c3aac04c8938975d80a31beb.jpg 1200w,\n/static/673dece10c7974f2013b2dc8a1ae3b31/0e329/44382d70c3aac04c8938975d80a31beb.jpg 1600w,\n/static/673dece10c7974f2013b2dc8a1ae3b31/bea71/44382d70c3aac04c8938975d80a31beb.jpg 3641w","srcWebp":"/static/673dece10c7974f2013b2dc8a1ae3b31/58556/44382d70c3aac04c8938975d80a31beb.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/673dece10c7974f2013b2dc8a1ae3b31/61e93/44382d70c3aac04c8938975d80a31beb.webp 200w,\n/static/673dece10c7974f2013b2dc8a1ae3b31/1f5c5/44382d70c3aac04c8938975d80a31beb.webp 400w,\n/static/673dece10c7974f2013b2dc8a1ae3b31/58556/44382d70c3aac04c8938975d80a31beb.webp 800w,\n/static/673dece10c7974f2013b2dc8a1ae3b31/99238/44382d70c3aac04c8938975d80a31beb.webp 1200w,\n/static/673dece10c7974f2013b2dc8a1ae3b31/7c22d/44382d70c3aac04c8938975d80a31beb.webp 1600w,\n/static/673dece10c7974f2013b2dc8a1ae3b31/79ff7/44382d70c3aac04c8938975d80a31beb.webp 3641w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2813-markdown","title":"Cannabis & Yoga: A Match Made in Heaven","slug":"cannabis-and-yoga-a-match-made-in-heaven","content":"At HelloMD, we often discuss the transformative power of cannabis and the healing aspects of combining cannabis with exercise. For professional or serious amateur athletes, cannabis is often used to intensify mental focus or to help aid sports recovery, due to its excellent anti-inflammatory properties.\n\nI’ve personally found that microdosing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) will soothe my painful muscles riddled with lactic acid and ease overall inflammation. Microdosing has been a great addition to my yoga practice; it allows for a deepening of my practice and freedom from stressful thoughts that accumulate throughout the day.\n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\n\n### The Healing Power of Cannabis & Yoga\n\n\n[Register now and use code \"om_hellomd\" to save 10%](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-omrising-gathering-norcals-best-yoga-music-mindfulness-fest-tickets-45945706846).\n\nThe marriage of cannabis and yoga feels like a match made in heaven, as both have been incredibly healing forces in my own life. Since puberty, I experienced debilitating migraines, which traditional pharmaceuticals could not treat effectively. Over time, I found myself increasingly reliant on Vicodin, until a friend suggested I try medical marijuana. Within six months of starting a high CBD-low THC protocol, I had left my Vicodin behind and was preventing my migraines altogether. \n\nRELATED: [HOW ATHLETES GET A BOOST FROM THE ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/5a442705100a820006562f3d/how-athletes-get-a-boost-from-the-endocannabinoid-system)\n\nDuring these years, where my health often felt like a struggle, yoga was my constant companion. An equalizing force, both mentally and physically, yoga always made me feel like a reset button was within my reach. Whether it’s been a life-threatening illness of someone close to me, a stressful health condition or a really bad day at work, yoga has been, and still is, my go-to solution. Maintaining a consistent practice hasn’t always been easy, but has felt like my insurance policy for overall physical and mental wellness, especially under times of extreme stress. \n\nLiving in the San Francisco Bay Area, I’ve had the luxury of choice when it comes to top-notch yoga studios and teachers. Through the years, my favorite studio has always been Yoga Tree, a multi-studio retreat founded by Tim and Tara Dale, featuring some of the country’s best yoga teachers. (Pictured below is Peter Walters, one of Yoga Tree's illustrious teachers.)\n\n\n\nYoga at this particular studio goes beyond a standard Vinyasa practice, often incorporating live music and a focus on the deeper meaning behind yoga and its overall effect on body, mind and soul. So much so that I often refer to going to class at Yoga Tree as attending my “church.”\n\n### Om Rising: The Premier Playful Yoga Retreat\n\nWith that said, it was extremely exciting to hear that Tim Dale is launching [Om Rising](https://www.omrising.org/), a new, weekend-long NorCal yoga + music festival, nestled in the woods of Mendocino County—where yoga luminaries like Peter Walters, Mark Morford, Christy Brown and Sonya Genel, among others, will be leading various yoga sessions. Musical artists such as Jai Uttal and Suzanne Sterling will be performing throughout the weekend as well. \n\nWhen HelloMD was asked to participate at the event, in conjunction with the women’s cannabis networking group Ellementa, I was ecstatic because as stated above, I think that yoga and cannabis go together about as well as chocolate and peanut butter—really, really well. \n\nTim Dale, founder of OM Rising, says, “We’re thrilled to open up the dialogue, reduce the stigma and start the conversation around the health and wellness benefits of cannabis and CBD at Om Rising as just one of many unique offerings for the first year of our gathering.” \n\n\n_Om Rising will take place on the beautiful grounds of Camp Navarro._\n\n### The Ellementa Playground at OM Rising\n\nOm Rising will offer a cannabis 101 class (for ages 21 and over) in a large, grassy, outdoor amphitheater, as well as a microdosing class for therapeutic purposes by Ellementa leaders Laurie Light and Tali Eisenberg. In addition, festival attendees will be able to experience The Ellementa Playground, powered by HelloMD, which will be a “magical, interactive space where you can get in touch with your inner child,\" says [Ellementa CEO and co-founder Aliza Sherman](https://www.hellomd.com/people/5a035b540e36d90757847313/alizasherman).\n\nShe adds, \"Play is the key word for the free-form activities where you can play joyfully, chill out, get creative and connect with cannabis and CBD experts who can feed your curiosity.” Aliza and I will also be speaking during the weekend, sharing our experiences about the transformative nature of both yoga and cannabis. \n\nJoin us for [Om Rising](https://www.hellomd.com/events/5b7a0a12f983c60007971fa3/the-om-rising-experience), NorCal’s new yoga + music festival on Oct. 5–8, 2018. Get your yoga on in the stunning redwoods with the Bay Area’s most beloved teachers on over 200 acres in Mendocino, CA. \n\n**Use promo code “om_hellomd\" to save 10% on your ticket.**\n\n**Note:** This is B.Y.O.C. Cannabis won't be provided during this event. \n\nPhoto credit: [Matthew Kane](https://unsplash.com/@matthewkane) (main image)\n\n","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3605442176870748,"src":"/static/3c92aac63c1fe3f8a6d0acbef5ac371f/14b42/b94f1e41cda6c49342319876a8a14369.jpg","srcSet":"/static/3c92aac63c1fe3f8a6d0acbef5ac371f/f836f/b94f1e41cda6c49342319876a8a14369.jpg 200w,\n/static/3c92aac63c1fe3f8a6d0acbef5ac371f/2244e/b94f1e41cda6c49342319876a8a14369.jpg 400w,\n/static/3c92aac63c1fe3f8a6d0acbef5ac371f/14b42/b94f1e41cda6c49342319876a8a14369.jpg 800w,\n/static/3c92aac63c1fe3f8a6d0acbef5ac371f/47498/b94f1e41cda6c49342319876a8a14369.jpg 1200w,\n/static/3c92aac63c1fe3f8a6d0acbef5ac371f/0e329/b94f1e41cda6c49342319876a8a14369.jpg 1600w,\n/static/3c92aac63c1fe3f8a6d0acbef5ac371f/00216/b94f1e41cda6c49342319876a8a14369.jpg 3639w","srcWebp":"/static/3c92aac63c1fe3f8a6d0acbef5ac371f/58556/b94f1e41cda6c49342319876a8a14369.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/3c92aac63c1fe3f8a6d0acbef5ac371f/61e93/b94f1e41cda6c49342319876a8a14369.webp 200w,\n/static/3c92aac63c1fe3f8a6d0acbef5ac371f/1f5c5/b94f1e41cda6c49342319876a8a14369.webp 400w,\n/static/3c92aac63c1fe3f8a6d0acbef5ac371f/58556/b94f1e41cda6c49342319876a8a14369.webp 800w,\n/static/3c92aac63c1fe3f8a6d0acbef5ac371f/99238/b94f1e41cda6c49342319876a8a14369.webp 1200w,\n/static/3c92aac63c1fe3f8a6d0acbef5ac371f/7c22d/b94f1e41cda6c49342319876a8a14369.webp 1600w,\n/static/3c92aac63c1fe3f8a6d0acbef5ac371f/15cef/b94f1e41cda6c49342319876a8a14369.webp 3639w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2792-markdown","title":"HelloMD’s Pamela Hadfield Talks Trends at Wine & Weed","slug":"hellomds-pamela-hadfield-talks-trends-at-wine-and-weed","content":"HelloMD’s co-founder [Pamela Hadfield](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamela-hadfield-19a986?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F) joined a lively roster of industry insiders at the [Wine & Weed Symposium](http://wine-weed.com/nc/), held in Santa Rosa, CA last week. Pamela gave her take on the latest cannabis trends that she’s seen crop up over the past year or more.\n\nIntroduced by [David Downs](https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidrdowns), the new California bureau chief at [Leafly](https://www.leafly.com/), Pamela got rolling with some of the biggest trends such as cannabis going mainstream, what with politicians on both sides of the aisle identifying as pro-cannabis. And she shared personal stories along the way—including how her own decades-long pain as a migraine sufferer got her to see cannabis in a new light.\n\nFollowing are excerpts from her walk through the **top 10 emerging trends in cannabis**:\n\n\n\n### Trend #1: Cannabis Goes Mainstream\n\n“Some might say that cannabis has been mainstream for some time. I would argue that 2018 and 2019 are where we're going to see the tipping point in terms of the conversation around cannabis, the destigmatization of it … We have 30 medically legal states and Washington, D.C. And we have nine recreationally legal states. What this is doing is it's forcing the conversation across the country.\n\n“We also see that mainstream media is accepting cannabis. When we look at O magazine, and it does a large spread on cannabis, or we look at _Goop_, **Gwyneth Paltrow's** platform, and they're talking about cannabis so readily, it changes the conversation across the nation. … When you look at the _New York Times_, when you look at _Vogue_, when you look at _Forbes_ and their willingness to accept this and write about cannabis, that's going to change how we all accept it, because we're shaped by the media around us.”\n\n\n\n### Trend #2: Cannabis for Health & Wellness\n\n“Most people who come to HelloMD, I would qualify them either as having compromised health or as a lifestyle consumer. What's interesting is, if you start out as a lifestyle consumer, say somebody in their mid-30s who comes back to cannabis after not trying it since college, this lifestyle consumer maybe somebody who just wants to relax on a Friday night. That person will often cycle into using it more than for health and wellness concerns like insomnia or anxiety, and somebody like myself who wasn't truly medical but had compromised health would never have considered being a lifestyle consumer before.\n\n“But after cannabis solves some of my health issues, I now may consume it to feel a little bit better on a Friday night. If you end up taking some cannabis to decrease stress, that's for your health, that's for your own wellness. So people are starting to look at cannabis in a very different way—as a tool for wellness—and that's something I'm really excited about because I believe that this should be accessible to everyone for that reason.”\n\n\n\n### Trend #3: Cannabis as the Exit Drug for the Opioid Epidemic\n\n“Seventy thousand people across North America are dying every year from opioid overdoses. HelloMD did one of the largest studies on chronic pain, cannabis, and opioids; 3,000 patients were surveyed about introducing cannabis into their treatment protocol. The fascinating thing was once they started to use cannabis, it actually increased the efficacy of the opioids, and they decreased their consumption. Ninety-seven percent of people indicated they decreased or eliminated use of opioids altogether. That's an amazing statistic.\n\n“And there's a lot of new research out there that's mimicking exactly what we found. The biggest hurdle I see in terms of the widespread adoption of cannabis as an exit drug to the opioid epidemic is not general consumers. It's the general practitioners who continue to not look at the research, to not accept cannabis as a valuable treatment. So I urge everyone in this room to talk to your doctor.”\n\n\n\n### Trend #4: Big Pharma’s Move Into Cannabis\n\n“I see a lot of undercurrents of what's happening with Big Pharma in the cannabis industry. And my prediction is that within two to five years, assuming that federal law changes and cannabis goes out of Schedule 1 status, is that Big Pharma will swoop in. \n\n“The big pharmaceutical company that's betting on cannabis right now is GW Pharma, based in the U.K. The FDA just approved its antiseizure medication, Epidiolex. And I think the unique thing about that medication is that it’s actually using whole plants. The reason I mention that is because Big Pharma’s tendency is much more to go towards synthetic cannabinoids, developing synthetics out of barley, yeast, different things like that.”\n \n“Meanwhile, what’s feeding into Big Pharma is biotech companies that are creating these synthetic cannabinoids. For example, there's a company up in Canada that's been very successful at creating THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) out of, I believe it's a yeast. And so they’re going to be poised for acquisition by Big Pharma.”\n\n\n\n### Trend #5: One Size Does Not Fit All\n\n“When I walked into dispensaries about five years ago, what I noticed was that all of the products pretty much seemed the same. A lot of them would be almost entirely all flower and very, very high THC content. I would ask, ‘Do you have anything lower in THC? And they would actually laugh at me and say, ‘Nobody wants that.’ And I was like, ‘Well, I kind of need and want that.’ \n \n“Demand is now pushing innovation. We’re in a culture where we have one of the best product arrays available on the planet. We have incredibly innovative new products coming out all of the time, and a lot of them are lower in THC and high in CBD (cannabidiol), which is the non-psychoactive portion of the plant.”\n\n\n\n### Trend #6: Over-Regulation With Adult-Use Legalization in CA\n\n“I've heard from a lot of people who come from Canada and say, ‘We come down to California to look at your product selection. We come down to look and see what you guys are making.’ Since Prop 64 passed and since January 1, the cannabis industry has basically been decimated by overregulation. We went from having probably 1,500 dispensaries operating legally to about 300 in the state. We went from having over 1,000 brands to having just 150 or so compliant legal brands in the state today.\n\n“We also have what I think is the biggest travesty of overregulation, which is Californians were basically voting to have a legal system so that everyone could have access because that was the dream. That's what they were sold, but the reality is that 70% of the state right now is practically dry—70%.\n\n“Now, when you think about a patient, I think about myself. If I couldn't get access to medication, it would probably drive me to the black market. But when you look at all of these medical patients across California and patients who actually need access, they’re not given access because local municipalities have deemed it unsafe to have cannabis dispensaries or delivery within their jurisdiction.”\n\n\n\n### Trend #7: Microdosing Cannabis\n\n“This has been on the rise for quite some time. Microdosing is the idea that you take the minimum amount of cannabis or any other substance to create the maximum overall beneficial effect. I like to compare microdosing to wine. If you drink a whole bottle of wine, most people won't feel very good. \n\n“Most people, when they start with cannabis, they have that macro-dose experience, and it scares them off of trying cannabis again. So, when you talk about microdosing and on-ramping people, this is like giving them that sort of half glass of wine, right? And just allowing them to try cannabis and try it safely and to titrate up.\n\n“So we're seeing an enormous amount of products by a variety of brands right now that offer very low-dose microdosed cannabis products.”\n\n\n\n### Trend #8: Weight Management With Cannabis\n\n“The reality is cannabis consumers tend to have a lower BMI (body mass index) and a lower or a smaller waist size than non-cannabis consumers do. Now you could say that’s sort of negligible, but THC has many different components within it that actually changes your gut microbiome; it actually can help speed up your metabolism.\n\n“The other interesting thing is that CBD has been found in new research to also boost metabolism, but it will also convert white fat cells to brown fat cells. And brown fat cells actually burn energy.”\n\n\n\n### Trend #9: Other Cannabinoids\n\n“There are now new cannabinoids—other than CBD and THC—that you can select on dispensary shelves and have delivered to your door. For example, CBG (cannabigerol), which promotes bone growth and is anti-spasmodic. And when you take the whole plant together, they have tremendous therapeutic value.”\n\n\n\n### Trend #10: Terpenes\n\n“Terpenes are amazing. They’re part of the cannabis plant that creates that aromatic smell and have been shown to have incredible therapeutic value. Terpenes aren’t just in cannabis but are in many different plants.\n\n“You'll start to see people talking about terpenes in addition to cannabinoids when you buy products. A certain product will have linalool, and these are the effects. And this is the smell pinene, which is the smell of pine, and so on.”\n\nIf you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://hellomd.com/articles/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post.\n\n### Get a Medical Marijuana Card Online\n\nIt's easy to get your medical marijuana document with the online [Telehealth service HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/get-started/). Register, pay, and receive an online medical consultation with a licensed practitioner and purchase medical cannabis today. You don't pay unless you're approved!","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/png;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.5037593984962405,"src":"/static/36435f2b99f7e9168ad889462df2f9ce/ee604/c1e008e41ea6b82f821d4cc1015603b6.png","srcSet":"/static/36435f2b99f7e9168ad889462df2f9ce/69585/c1e008e41ea6b82f821d4cc1015603b6.png 200w,\n/static/36435f2b99f7e9168ad889462df2f9ce/497c6/c1e008e41ea6b82f821d4cc1015603b6.png 400w,\n/static/36435f2b99f7e9168ad889462df2f9ce/ee604/c1e008e41ea6b82f821d4cc1015603b6.png 800w","srcWebp":"/static/36435f2b99f7e9168ad889462df2f9ce/58556/c1e008e41ea6b82f821d4cc1015603b6.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/36435f2b99f7e9168ad889462df2f9ce/61e93/c1e008e41ea6b82f821d4cc1015603b6.webp 200w,\n/static/36435f2b99f7e9168ad889462df2f9ce/1f5c5/c1e008e41ea6b82f821d4cc1015603b6.webp 400w,\n/static/36435f2b99f7e9168ad889462df2f9ce/58556/c1e008e41ea6b82f821d4cc1015603b6.webp 800w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2736-markdown","title":"Goodbye, Insomnia: A HelloMD Educational Event","slug":"goodbye-insomnia-a-hellomd-educational-event","content":"Last week, HelloMD held an educational event—the first of many—in San Francisco, hosted by our Chief Medical Officer Perry Solomon, M.D., and featuring Chris Emerson, Level’s co-founder and chief scientist. Roughly 20 folks attended to find out how cannabis might help with their insomnia. \n\nDr. Solomon along with Chris, who holds a Ph.D. in small molecule chemistry and attended Stanford University as a post-doctoral fellow, started out by going over the basics—from endocannabinoids produced in our body and phytocannabinoids found in cannabis to how these compounds interact with our endocannabinoid system, helping maintain balance, or homeostasis.\n\nThey then spent a good chunk of time going over the what, when and why around insomnia—as well as suggestions on how to get a good night’s sleep. Following are excerpts of their in-depth discussion along with the Q&A session that followed.\n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\n\nDo you live in or near San Francisco? [Check out our “How to Microdose With Cannabis” event] scheduled for Thursday, July 12.\n\n### What components of cannabis or what products would people use to treat their insomnia? \n\n**Chris Emerson:** Yeah, I think a lot of times it's been about products with delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). After you use THC, you don’t feel tired necessarily, but it's not an energizing thing for the most part. By the time you get done with THC, you do feel a little sluggish. So, as people use delta-9 THC, I think it can help facilitate sleep.\n\nThere are a lot of different reasons why some of the other cannabinoids that are coming on the market, especially cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabinol (CBN), that may not have—for most people—the psychoactivity of delta-9 THC, can also be really good for helping people relax, and to try and treat persistent sleep issues.\n\n### Some people have a problem going to sleep, and some people have a problem staying asleep. Would there be different ways to treat each of those types of insomnia? \n\n**CE:** Yeah, definitely. I think so. Some people just need help relaxing to fall asleep. Once they fall asleep, they can stay asleep; that's one application. Some people are going to fall asleep, and then they'll rebound and wake up at two or three in the morning—mind's racing, the body's tired, and they can't fall back asleep; it’s a different use case. And then all of the combinations that occur in between. And so, the method of using a certain dosage route of administration of cannabis can be very impactful on how it's going to affect your ability to treat your condition of persistent sleeplessness.\n\n\n_Level's Chris Emerson (left) with HelloMD's Dr. Perry Solomon share tips on easing insomnia with cannabis._\n\n### Are there other issues that cannabis can help with so that people can go to sleep? In other words, chronic pain or anxiety or whatever it may be. And would you use different types of products for a given condition or symptom?\n\n**CE:** Yes, for sure. So, you're talking about clinical manifestations of pain. There's inflammation in inflammatory and neuropathic conditions, and cannabis treats them slightly different. Maybe you have acute pain, so you want to vape. Either flower or concentrate because you need acute relief to help minimize the pain so you can fall asleep.\n\nOr maybe you can fall asleep, but you wake up in the middle of night. So, maybe you want an edible or some type of oral dosage as you fall asleep as their effects last longer than the effects from vaping.\n\n**Perry Solomon:** Yes, exactly. And it might be different for everybody. Maybe you vape to go to sleep; the vape helps you fall asleep. And then you also take a dosage of an edible, so it helps you maintain sleep throughout the night. And part of the journey that Chris was talking about is for people to keep track of their sleep cycles. Because what you eat has something to do with how cannabis, the medicine, reacts in your body. What time you took it before you went to sleep and how you're feeling the next day are also very impactful in terms of what you use.\n\nSomeone may wake up and say, I still feel a little bit high. I took an edible. Maybe I should have used that before—an hour or a half hour before I went to sleep. So, keeping a journal about what it is you took and how you slept that night kind of dials in for each person what works for them. Because everyone reacts differently to cannabis, and everyone goes a different way in their journey of going to sleep.\n\nOne of the biggest frustrations to be able to recommend something is that there's no one size fits all with cannabis. It's more about trying something, seeing what and how it works, and moving onto something else or going on to keep using the same product. Because everyone completely depends on their own personal physiology and what else they do during the day. Cannabis isn't _the_ answer. It's a part of a holistic approach that includes changing your lifestyle and eating habits as well as exercise.\n\n### Do physicians recognize cannabis as an effective treatment for insomnia?\n\n**PS:** No, doctors don't have any idea that cannabis works like that at all because no one taught us about cannabis in medical school. Physicians are very afraid of giving recommendations or talking about it mostly due to their ignorance. If you're going to ask your doctor about cannabis for insomnia, they'll look at you with a blank stare or say, “Well, let me give you some Ambien or some Xanax,” because they know how to prescribe that. They can tell you to take a half a pill every hour. Doctors know exactly how it's going to work.\n\nCannabis is a very individualistic thing, and it's frustrating for a physician not to know exactly how much to prescribe and write that out on their prescription pad. Doctors can write something for pain; they can write something for antibiotics, but they can't write a prescription specifically telling you exactly how much cannabis to take.\n\nThey're learning though. When you go in to talk to your physician about using cannabis, I highly recommend you show them what you’ve learned, because you will educate them about using cannabis—for insomnia specifically, and for other medical conditions. \n\n### So, how does someone know how much cannabis to take for their insomnia? \n\n **CE:** It depends on a person’s experience with cannabis—how much have you tried cannabis—and then understanding dosing and different routes of administration. Essentially, there are five routes of administration. You can have a topical route of administration. You can smoke or inhale. You can swallow things; that's an oral route of administration. You can let it dissolve in your mouth through sublingual or mucosal route of delivery; that's sublingual. There's also rectal and vaginal—or suppository.\n\nMost products on the market are topicals, inhalants, sublingual and oral. And each one has a different effect in your body, because your body processes cannabis differently depending on the route of administration or also because of the uptake for it. And so if people are unfamiliar with cannabis, it's important to understand the different routes of administration. Different products are formulated for different routes, and you're going to have different experiences depending on the route of administration.\n\nFor people who are new to cannabis, start low and go slow. Microdosing is very popular as a term; these are products that are 5 mg or less. If you're concerned about psychoactivity, start with something that’s high in CBD, or CBD only. There’s some other non-psychoactive cannabinoids out there, but CBD is usually a really good one to start with as the baseline. Then you can start to incorporate some delta-9 THC and find a balance between those two that may work for you. Then once you feel confident with those, you can really start exploring. \n\n\n\n### If someone were to say that they’re just lying there in bed, and their mind is racing; they’re anxious. What would you suggest to someone like that? \n\n**CE:** For me, CBD works really well. There’s also a cannabinoid CBN. It's pretty rare. It's kind of hard to find because the plant actually doesn't produce it. It's a non-enzymatic degradation byproduct. So, it converts over time from delta-9 THC to CBN. Purportedly, it has very good sedating or sleep-enhancing properties. But we haven't really been able to look at it, and there's not a lot or very many products on the market that have it.\n\nSo, CBD is a great one to really look at. It helps people relax. A lot. It may calm your mind, reduce anxiety. There's also delta-8 THC that's starting to hit the market. This is a very relaxing cannabinoid, and we find that when combined with CBD, it has very relaxing qualities. I actually use a mixture of these two cannabinoids every night to sleep because it helps me calm, helps my mind stop racing.\n\nSo, you get into a pattern or ritual of going to sleep every night. You take some cannabis, whatever it is that works for you. You put your phone down since you’re trying to calm your body down and relax from the day, and then potentially use an oral dosage 30–60 minutes before you lay down.\n\nAnd when you’re lying down, maybe you use a tincture or some type of sublingual that's fast-acting, usually 5–15 minutes, that then helps this onset ramp before the oral dosage kicks in to help you maintain throughout the night. There's a ton of products out there that you can take that are between 5–20 mg, depending on what's going to work for the individual. \n\nAlso, can you identify parts of your day when you could incorporate breathing or meditation or supplement with some cannabis, too? During the day, we can get really stressed, whether we're dealing with some crisis or interacting with family or employees. We don't think about it. We just get through the day.\n\nSo, when we start shutting our bodies down, and we're in the middle of our sleep, we wake up in a panic, because now our bodies are trying to process all of these emotions from the day. So, can we identify throughout the day what's happening that leads to us having these persistent sleep issues, and then in that, can we use cannabis to help us address these issues?\n\nI think when we don't try to change patterns and adjust throughout the day, that's when we say, “Oh, I want a silver bullet. I just want to sleep, so I'm going to take some Ambien.” We’re going to take something that can knock us out and not address a systemic issue in our lives. \n\nPhoto credit: [Cris Saur](https://unsplash.com/@crisaur)\n\nIf you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://hellomd.com/articles/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's easy, private and 100% online. ","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/2wBDABALDA4MChAODQ4SERATGCgaGBYWGDEjJR0oOjM9PDkzODdASFxOQERXRTc4UG1RV19iZ2hnPk1xeXBkeFxlZ2P/2wBDARESEhgVGC8aGi9jQjhCY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2P/wgARCAAPABQDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFwABAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAABBf/EABUBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB/9oADAMBAAIQAxAAAAHlLOiB2Uf/xAAbEAADAAIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDBBESIv/aAAgBAQABBQKYVDxJHQipTex4d8n/xAAUEQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQ/9oACAEDAQE/AT//xAAUEQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQ/9oACAECAQE/AT//xAAaEAACAgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARAREiFB/9oACAEBAAY/Aq6KL2YqP//EABoQAAMAAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABMSFRYbH/2gAIAQEAAT8hYqPaIxZhgI9Fs5hvQxof/9oADAMBAAIAAwAAABCPL//EABURAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABBB/9oACAEDAQE/EKf/xAAWEQADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAESH/2gAIAQIBAT8QcRT/xAAcEAEAAgMAAwAAAAAAAAAAAAABABEhQVFhcYH/2gAIAQEAAT8QDBQ5dbH2QfYIgp+9isWCFOagJGtU2VdPHGWxE//Z","aspectRatio":1.3605442176870748,"src":"/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/14b42/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.jpg","srcSet":"/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/f836f/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.jpg 200w,\n/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/2244e/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.jpg 400w,\n/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/14b42/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.jpg 800w,\n/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/47498/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.jpg 1200w,\n/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/0e329/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.jpg 1600w,\n/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/25bba/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.jpg 2868w","srcWebp":"/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/58556/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/61e93/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.webp 200w,\n/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/1f5c5/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.webp 400w,\n/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/58556/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.webp 800w,\n/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/99238/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.webp 1200w,\n/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/7c22d/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.webp 1600w,\n/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/cca17/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.webp 2868w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2699-markdown","title":"HelloMD’s Co-founder Pamela Hadfield Speaks at Wine & Weed","slug":"hellomds-co-founder-pamela-hadfield-speaks-at-wine-and-weed","content":"HelloMD’s co-founder Pamela Hadfield gave a talk about cannabis and wellness at the [Wine & Weed Symposium](http://wine-weed.com/), held in San Luis Obispo, CA this past month. Ever since “[60 Minutes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njm1LkXP2sg)” reported on it back in 1991, the wine industry has long touted the health benefits of drinking wine in moderation—in that red wine in particular appears to help lower the incidence of heart disease.\n\nWe can draw parallels between drinking wine for heart health and consuming cannabis for overall wellness. This is because marijuana has also been shown to support folks’ health and well-being. After more than two decades of medical marijuana legalization in California, adult-use cannabis is now upon us—and with it an influx of individuals who are neither purely recreational, nor purely medical.\n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\n\nIn her nearly hour-long session, Pamela spoke to the perceptions versus reality of today’s cannabis consumers. She touched on her own once-held misconceptions, and how her personal and positive experiences with cannabis changed her mind. Pamela also touched on the sea change taking place across the societal and political landscapes, and then walked through a few cannabis basics—from cannabinoids like cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to why doctors still don’t know much about the plant.\n\nTake a look at a few excerpts from Pamela’s talk. And come see her speak on the latest trends in cannabis at [the next Wine & Weed Symposium](http://wine-weed.com/nc/symposium.php), scheduled for Aug. 2, in Santa Rosa.\n\n### Stigmas & Stereotypes: Pamela’s Own Journey\n\nI had a very outdated view and stigma towards who the cannabis consumer was. I had never really had a positive experience with cannabis. I had often, if I tried it, ended up paranoid and anxious. … But like so many people who end up trying cannabis medicinally, it was my medication of last resort, and it should have been my medication of first resort. \n\nI went and got my medical recommendation, tried [cannabis], and within the first month, I was managing my [migraine] pain effectively. [Cannabis] helped me get off of Vicodin completely within about two months. And in six months, I was preventing my migraines altogether. And I can say that for the last four years, I have not had a migraine after 25 years [of suffering from them]. So, I became a much happier person. Health is wealth really when you think about it.\n\nRELATED: [MICRODOSING CANNABIS STOPPED MY CHRONIC PAIN](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/578da024fdc17e000700019d/microdosing-cannabis-stopped-my-chronic-pain)\n\n### The Largest Group Embracing Cannabis Is the Health & Wellness Consumer\n\nIn terms of our research, what we found is that that the stoner [stereotype]—that truly recreational consumer—will be about 10–13% of the market and hold steady. Now you might say, well that seems a little bit crazy, right? [What about] that stoner image; there's so many of them. But what we’ve found is that people tend to cycle into that often between the ages of 18–25.\n\nThe largest chunk of people moving into cannabis today are what we call the health and wellness cannabis consumer. So … you might see people that had migraines like myself who weren’t so into cannabis. It's solved that compromised health issue, and then they say, \"Well, you know what? It also makes me feel good on a Friday night if I do it appropriately.\"\n\nAnd then you might find somebody who's a lifestyle consumer who might be a male, 36–38 years old, who starts to pick up a joint on a Friday night again and enjoys it, but then says, “Hey, that really helps with my insomnia.”\n\nSo, what I'm trying to say here is that this black-and-white look at cannabis as being recreational versus medicinal is a little too rigid. [The reality is that it’s] actually a very fluid spectrum. And as you move through your life, your needs, your wants and your desires change, and cannabis tends to move in and out of both. \n\n### Marijuana Is Going Mainstream\n\nSo … what's changing in terms of mainstream acceptance? One of the things that I find very interesting is when somebody says to me in a particular county in California, they'll say, “We don't want cannabis here. We don't want to legalize it, because we don't want it here.”\n\nI have news for them. It's already been there. It's just that it's been under the covers. In 2016, 54 billion dollars of cannabis was sold in the United States, of which 6 billion dollars was legal. If you don't think cannabis has been in and around us this entire time, then you really haven't been looking.\n\nWhat we're seeing right now is a global phenomenon of cultural norms that are changing, cultural views that are changing. This is something that can't be stopped, and one of the reasons it can't be stopped is that people are now feeling like, “I have been using cannabis, and I can be out with it.”\n\nOr they're seeing an alternative to get them out of a problem, and as humans we're very much geared towards problem-solution, just like with my migraines: problem and then solution.\n\nAnd so, what we see at HelloMD on a daily basis is that cannabis is often a solution for people. It may not be the primary solution. Somebody might say to us, “I'm in chronic pain, and I need to solve my pain issue.” Well, it may not be the silver bullet, but often [cannabis] can solve anxiety. It can solve problems with insomnia; it can solve problems with depression. All those things can be in that health and wellness category.\n\nRELATED: [CANNABIS FOR OPTIMAL WELLNESS](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/587d57c9e6a860000c1eb7a1/using-cannabis-for-optimal-wellness)\n\n### Cannabis Can Solve the Opioid Crisis\n\nIn legal medical marijuana states, opioid prescription rates dropped by 22%. This research has been out for the last year or so, maybe a little bit longer. But it's coming out more and more that in medically legal states—and it has to be emphasized, where cannabis is very accessible—the prescription rates will drop. In addition, what we're seeing is that general practitioners on average will prescribe 1,800 fewer doses of opioids per practice per year in medically legal states.\n\nAs we know, the opioid epidemic is at an all-time high. It’s absolutely phenomenal how it has devastated society. Medical cannabis, and cannabis in general, is a [solution to the opioid crisis](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/5a3c582c100a820006562f36/the-rise-of-opioidsand-cannabiss-role-in-their-downfall).\n\nI think it was this past week … did anyone see Sanjay Gupta’s new documentary “Weed”? He actually came out in his new documentary series—which was a real tipping point in and of itself for the industry—to say that [the opioid crisis can be solved by cannabis](https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/24/health/medical-marijuana-opioid-epidemic-sanjay-gupta/index.html). That's a huge deal. \n\n### When It Comes to Cannabis, We the People Are Driving a Sea Change in Politics \n\nSixty-four percent of Americans support recreational legalization, and 93% support medical legalization. Those are huge numbers. Politicians are starting to listen. We need to continue to talk about this more and more, but I think what we're seeing right now is a sea change within the political environment because of these numbers.\n\nIt's huge what's going on right now, because if you're in the cannabis industry, it gives you hope that we're no longer going to be demonized … and that we could really come out into the light like any other normal business like the wine industry.\n\nThe politicians are getting on board. [Chuck Schumer came out for decriminalization](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/5aecfde9b869a6000796590c/key-ny-players-push-for-cannabis-decriminalization-and-legalization). We have John Boehner who joined the board of … one of the largest cannabis companies in the nation and said that his views have evolved. And then Cynthia Nixon who’s running for the governor’s seat in New York state. Gov. Cuomo has been dead set against legalization, and all of a sudden he's evolved as well.\n\nMy own personal view, and I think other people might say this as well, is that a large part of this might have to do with the midterm elections that are coming up and the percentage of people that actually support cannabis legalization. \n\n### Cannabis Product Innovations Have Blown Past Smoking\n\nI think one of the biggest misunderstandings about cannabis today is that you have to be smoking a joint or that you're smoking a bong. And the reality is that that's not the case. So, can I consume cannabis without smoking? Absolutely. So, the flower has been one of the most popular ways to consume cannabis. Meaning you'd go to the dispensary and you buy bud.\n\nEveryone thinks about cannabis and smoking, smoking from a bowl or a joint or whatever, because that has been sort of the standard. But the industry has moved on so quickly. One of the reasons why people look to California so intensely is because of the product innovation that's happening here.\n\nI was talking to one of the Canadian licensed producers, and he said, “You know, I'm not really interested in California grows. You've talked about 20,000 square foot grows. We have million square foot grows. But what we're interested in is how you have developed whole new categories of product types.”\n\nBasically, due to our unregulated markets, we have pushed innovation in the cannabis industry. We've pushed that envelope. And so, as a result, you can take all different kinds of product types, and many of them are not about smoking.\n\nSo that means you can take a gel cap; you can have a topical that's non-psychoactive on your skin. You can vape, which is not considered smoking. You can take an edible. Everyone knows the chocolate brownie that's wrapped in plastic wrap of their youth. It exists, but what you find today are beautifully branded products and all different kinds of edibles. It could be a gummy; it could be a chocolate; it could be a stick of gum.\n\n### Mixing THC & Wine—It’s Not for Everyone\n\nSo, can I drink and consume cannabis? When people ask me this—and I get asked this all the time, I think it's really highly dependent on who you are as a person. The thing that everyone needs to know about smoking, or about consuming cannabis and drinking—whether that's wine or hard alcohol—is that [hard alcohol or alcohol in general magnifies the level of THC in your bloodstream](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/58e7bbf32fdeaf51a1a08384/mixing-marijuana-and-alcohol).\n\nSo, if you're good with getting high and having that magnified, then that might be appropriate for you. For me, if I drink alcohol and I have a little bit of THC, I'm [flat] on the ground. So, I think it really depends. But as many of our panelists have said, the regulations today don’t allow those things to go together.\n\nIf you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101]( https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/56201c206430320006bb0000/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's easy, private and 100% online. ","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/png;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3888888888888888,"src":"/static/20dd5f382fcf1308de8ba324691a4b4f/ee604/ca152f799176c8fe895d29e5db6fcd8e.png","srcSet":"/static/20dd5f382fcf1308de8ba324691a4b4f/69585/ca152f799176c8fe895d29e5db6fcd8e.png 200w,\n/static/20dd5f382fcf1308de8ba324691a4b4f/497c6/ca152f799176c8fe895d29e5db6fcd8e.png 400w,\n/static/20dd5f382fcf1308de8ba324691a4b4f/ee604/ca152f799176c8fe895d29e5db6fcd8e.png 800w,\n/static/20dd5f382fcf1308de8ba324691a4b4f/1418e/ca152f799176c8fe895d29e5db6fcd8e.png 1045w","srcWebp":"/static/20dd5f382fcf1308de8ba324691a4b4f/58556/ca152f799176c8fe895d29e5db6fcd8e.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/20dd5f382fcf1308de8ba324691a4b4f/61e93/ca152f799176c8fe895d29e5db6fcd8e.webp 200w,\n/static/20dd5f382fcf1308de8ba324691a4b4f/1f5c5/ca152f799176c8fe895d29e5db6fcd8e.webp 400w,\n/static/20dd5f382fcf1308de8ba324691a4b4f/58556/ca152f799176c8fe895d29e5db6fcd8e.webp 800w,\n/static/20dd5f382fcf1308de8ba324691a4b4f/ebf0b/ca152f799176c8fe895d29e5db6fcd8e.webp 1045w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2372-markdown","title":"Elevate + Flow: A Cannabis & Yoga Retreat","slug":"elevate-flow-a-cannabis-and-yoga-retreat","content":"On Sept. 30, HelloMD was pleased to attend Elevate + Flow, a yoga and cannabis retreat hosted by [Geyser Peak Ranch](https://www.geyserpeakranch.com/home). Susan Hauser, renowned instructor at [New Om World Yoga](https://newomworld.com/), led the yoga portion of the event and Ona.Life helped curate the participation of top marijuana brands in the day-long health and wellness event. \n\nGeyser Peak Ranch is a spectacular four-generation family-owned property of 1,200 acres overlooking the Alexander Valley. Nielma Hock, co-owner of the ranch and the Elevate + Flow organizer, regularly hosts high-end cannabis experiences, inviting members of the cannabis industry to help normalize the conversation around marijuana. Her events are perfect for the “canna-curious” as well as those already well-versed in cannabis knowledge.\n\nNielma’s passion for shattering old stigmas about marijuana and introducing guests to a different side of cannabis comes from her personal experience of witnessing a cancer-stricken loved one refuse cannabis as medicine, despite its potential to help.\n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\n\n\nRuby LaGranduer of LaGranduer sparkling beverages.\n\n### Cancer Battle Inspires Marijuana-Infused Events\n\nA few years ago, Nielma’s mother battled cancer. During the process, she was given multiple pharmaceuticals to deal with the pain associated with the disease as well as for the side effects from chemotherapy. But due to the stigma she felt for the plant, she refused cannabis and [Marinol, an FDA-approved pharmaceutical made with synthetic THC](http://www.marinol.com/patient/about-marinol). \n\nNielma reflects, “To this day, I think about how much better my mom’s quality of life would have been had she just opted to reach for cannabis instead of the pharmaceutical drugs. Cannabis may not have extended her life, but it may have allowed her to have the presence of mind to have more lucid hours spent with me and the people she loved. When someone is at their deathbed, every minute counts. I often think about how the stigma of cannabis robbed me of precious time with my mom.” \n\n### Cannabis Education at Elevate + Flow\n\nThe day began with [Pamela Hadfield, co-founder of HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/people/pamelahadfield), addressing the largely new-to-cannabis crowd on the health and wellness aspects of the plant. She began with her personal story of crippling migraines and [how she solved her own health crisis and got off opioids with the help of medical marijuana](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/5595d75d3264380006170000/migraines-how-i-got-off-pain-meds-and-found-relief-with-cannabis). \n\nDuring her talk, she educated people on the [science of cannabis](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/55da2ff26430380006690000/cannabinoids-chemical-compounds-with-huge-therapeutic-potential) and how it affects the [CB1 and CB2 receptors](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/56ba6fd0023cd900080000b3/is-your-endocannabinoid-system-in-balance) in the body. Pamela also spoke about [the concept of microdosing](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/59c1b07e93afe720b53117a1/microdosing-a-better-way-to-take-cannabis) and the need to go “low and slow.”\n\n### Yoga & Top Cannabis Brands Close the Retreat\n\n`embed: https://www.instagram.com/p/BZ1bW81Dmij/`
\n\nFollowing the educational discussion and audience Q&A, the group adjourned to a ridge overlooking the Alexander Valley. Here Susan Hauser led a music-filled, open-air vinyasa yoga session. The breathtaking scenery combined with Susan’s yoga expertise created a unique experience that left participants invigorated and smiling. \n\nRELATED: [THE CONNECTION BETWEEN YOGA & CANNABIS](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/58a38cc01689ad0017e8493b/the-connection-between-yoga-and-cannabis)\n\nWalking down the ridge and back into the ranch, guests were then able to engage with brand ambassadors from some of California’s top marijuana lines. The brands present represented the movement in artisanal, microdosed consumption such as [La Grandeur](https://www.lagrandeur.co/), a sparkling cranberry beverage; [Atlas Edibles](http://atlasedibles.com/), which offers incredibly scrumptious granola treats; [HMBLDT vaporizers](https://hmbldt.com/); [Ona.Life delivery](https://www.ona.life), which offered a wide array of cannabis brands; and [Garden Society](http://www.thegardensociety.com/), a wildly popular gourmet confection edible.\n\n`embed: https://www.instagram.com/p/BZr3Cx-gGNq/`
\n\nNurit Raphael, co-founder of Ona.Life delivery, and one of the event coordinators, commented on the day saying, “I’m thrilled that we were able to bring together the network of cannabis industry leaders and brands with the community at large to make this elegant collaboration happen, and push the conversation around cannabis forward.”\n\nPhoto credit: [La Grandeur](https://www.lagrandeur.com)\n\nIf you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's easy, private and 100% online. ","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3513513513513513,"src":"/static/bed6f8d0535e079c161dcca468c4c78a/14b42/a4b027cd54e29e2d66ee3ab5f2aaaf59.jpg","srcSet":"/static/bed6f8d0535e079c161dcca468c4c78a/f836f/a4b027cd54e29e2d66ee3ab5f2aaaf59.jpg 200w,\n/static/bed6f8d0535e079c161dcca468c4c78a/2244e/a4b027cd54e29e2d66ee3ab5f2aaaf59.jpg 400w,\n/static/bed6f8d0535e079c161dcca468c4c78a/14b42/a4b027cd54e29e2d66ee3ab5f2aaaf59.jpg 800w,\n/static/bed6f8d0535e079c161dcca468c4c78a/1d643/a4b027cd54e29e2d66ee3ab5f2aaaf59.jpg 1115w","srcWebp":"/static/bed6f8d0535e079c161dcca468c4c78a/58556/a4b027cd54e29e2d66ee3ab5f2aaaf59.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/bed6f8d0535e079c161dcca468c4c78a/61e93/a4b027cd54e29e2d66ee3ab5f2aaaf59.webp 200w,\n/static/bed6f8d0535e079c161dcca468c4c78a/1f5c5/a4b027cd54e29e2d66ee3ab5f2aaaf59.webp 400w,\n/static/bed6f8d0535e079c161dcca468c4c78a/58556/a4b027cd54e29e2d66ee3ab5f2aaaf59.webp 800w,\n/static/bed6f8d0535e079c161dcca468c4c78a/ac735/a4b027cd54e29e2d66ee3ab5f2aaaf59.webp 1115w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2442-markdown","title":"Cannabis & Comedy Draw Crowds to HelloMD Laughter Haven Event","slug":"cannabis-and-comedy-draw-crowds-to-hellomd-laughter-haven-event","content":"More than 300 cannabis enthusiasts sampled, networked and giggled their way through HelloMD’s sold-out Cannabis and Comedy event, held Thursday, Oct. 5, at The Midway, an indoor-outdoor party venue in San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighborhood.\n\nThe event, called [Laughter Haven](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/59c1930593afe713363117a3/hellomds-laughter-haven-an-evening-of-cannabis-and-comedy), was the third and largest of the community gatherings sponsored by HelloMD, a digital health and wellness platform for the cannabis community. On HelloMD, patients can connect with a physician to get a medical cannabis recommendation over live video, and access information on marijuana products and dispensaries as well as advice on marijuana’s medicinal efficacy.\n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\n
\n\n`embed: https://www.instagram.com/p/BZ5alekAjxZ/`\n\n
\nThe evening began with a couple hours of networking at an outdoor combustion lounge where [more than a dozen top cannabis brands](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/59caa7214219283019163673/top-cannabis-brands-that-are-doing-it-right) provided samples of cannabis products, including vaporizers and vape pens, concentrates, topicals, edibles and beverages. The lounge was hosted by the event’s premier sponsor _DOPE Magazine_, a six-year-old publication “dedicated to creating purposeful, relevant conversations around cannabis.” \n\nThe guests then enjoyed 90 minutes of stand-up comedy by three local comics—Mike E. Winfield, Carlos Rodriguez and Steph Garcia—bringing the relaxed crowd into non-stop laughter. \n\n### Top Cannabis Brands & Stand-up – a Perfect Pairing\n\n“People often say laughter is the best medicine, and when we laugh it’s proven to be [beneficial to overall health and well-being](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/59d3d11c11eb3213ee682590/top-ten-health-benefits-of-laughter). Bringing together an event with the top brands in cannabis and a comedy event seemed like a natural pairing,” said HelloMD co-founder Pamela Hadfield. \n\n“Our goal is to support our partner brands by exposing them to new patients and to help raise awareness among patients as to who the brands are and what they do,” added Hadfield, who started HelloMD with her husband Mark. \n
\n`embed: https://www.instagram.com/p/BZ5aKU5gIog/` \n
\n_DOPE Magazine_ has a similar mission, according to Senior Business Development Manager Jason Rosenberg. “DOPE stands for ‘Defending Our Plant Everywhere,’ which the company does by curating and cultivating the most trusted brands in cannabis,” he said. \n\nHadfield said the October event was a “tremendous success” with almost triple the attendance of the company’s two earlier community gatherings. “We had requests up until the day before for brands that wanted to participate,” she said. Tickets sold out in advance, she added. \n\n“We’ve been holding events to bring our community together to share in a unique experience while promoting cannabis as a tool for health and wellness,” explained Hadfield. \n \n“HelloMD promotes the connection between body, mind and soul, and we feel our events explore and bring together these different facets,” she added. \n\nRELATED: [HELLOMD CANNABIS POP-UP EVENT ATTRACTS SAN FRANCISCO CANNASEURS](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/598389c62186835997fb7dd9/hellomd-cannabis-pop-up-event-attracts-san-francisco-cannaseurs)\n\n### Good Times, Good Fun with Cannabis\n\n`embed: https://www.instagram.com/p/BaJ6TmpAyhi/`\n
\nThe evening’s entertainers also thought the event was a success.\n\n[Mike E. Winfield](http://mikewinfield.com/), a star on Netflix’s “Brad Paisley’s Comedy Rodeo” and on the eighth season of NBC’s “The Office,” said the “energy of the crowd made it a wonderful place” to perform. “It was just so much fun,” he added.\n\nWinfield, who’s based in Sacramento, said this was his first opportunity to perform at a cannabis event, and “I certainly hope there will be more in the future,” he said. “My wife and I went home with a bagful of goodies, and we intend to dabble with them and remember the fun we had that night.” \n\nComic Steph Garcia, also from Sacramento, said she was thrilled to be invited to HelloMD’s event, “because I’m a huge advocate of the healing properties of cannabis.”\n\n“The mood of the crowd was awesome from beginning to end. There was lots of hugging and laughter. I just had so much fun.”\n\nGarcia pointed out that an audience who’s enjoyed cannabis instead of alcohol makes for a “different and better experience” for performers. “People who are drunk can be really awful” during and after the show, she said.\n\n### Elevating the Wellness Benefits of Cannabis\n\nIn the days following the event, HelloMD asked a handful of guests and vendors for comments on the gathering.\n\n**Cannabis attorney Daniel Dellafose**, who regularly attends industry events, said, “The event was great. All the vendors were really knowledgeable, and the comedy show was funny. All three comedians did an excellent job at keeping the crowd laughing.”\n\nDellafose, who has a solo private practice focusing on cannabis compliance, said he was in the second cohort at the [bayarealegalincubator.org](https://www.bayarealegalincubator.org/) and is “happy to be working in the cannabis industry.”\n\n\nChris Schroeder (right) with his Somatik team.\n\n**Entrepreneur Chris Schroeder**, founder of cannabis coffee company Somatik, Inc., said the event “was a perfect evening of cannabis exploration and social mixing. The Midway always makes for a beautiful venue, but the combination of craft vendors, great guests and comedy made it a night to remember.”\n\nSchroeder added that the event “was a great chance to introduce Somatik and our cold brew coffee to many new people, which is the first step in changing the conversation around cannabis and helping to reduce stigma and elevate the wellness benefits. This was our first Hello MD event, and I have a feeling we're going to be doing many more.” \n\nSchroeder, a Bay Area native, says he’s been working for local mission-driven companies his entire career. “I started Somatik because I wanted to elevate and normalize cannabis use. Our first product, coffee, is something so many people already have a relationship with; it was a great way to help demystify the experience. The name ‘Somatik’ comes from a Greek term promoting the balance of mind and body, which is something I think cannabis is fantastic in achieving.”\n\nAs for future events, HelloMD’s Hadfield said the company may sponsor a pop-up later in the year. Specific plans for 2018 will depend on the upcoming rules and regulations governing events in California, following passage of Proposition 64, which legalized recreational, or adult use, cannabis.\n\n“Stay tuned for announcements,” Hadfield said.\n\n[Companies represented at the HelloMD Laughter Haven event](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/59caa7214219283019163673/top-cannabis-brands-that-are-doing-it-right) include: Cannaderm; Dunlevie; Emerald Alchemy; Flow Kana; Guild Extracts; Kiva Confections; Marley Natural; Satori Chocolates; Sava; Somatik; Sprig; Vape Exhale; and The Venice Cookie Company. \n\nIf you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's easy, private and 100% online.","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3333333333333333,"src":"/static/6da0c16e27d3e1d9387bde068cf0c44f/7d509/e0d302ce8011af041467ddd4c6d4e773.jpg","srcSet":"/static/6da0c16e27d3e1d9387bde068cf0c44f/f836f/e0d302ce8011af041467ddd4c6d4e773.jpg 200w,\n/static/6da0c16e27d3e1d9387bde068cf0c44f/2244e/e0d302ce8011af041467ddd4c6d4e773.jpg 400w,\n/static/6da0c16e27d3e1d9387bde068cf0c44f/7d509/e0d302ce8011af041467ddd4c6d4e773.jpg 720w","srcWebp":"/static/6da0c16e27d3e1d9387bde068cf0c44f/2aa8d/e0d302ce8011af041467ddd4c6d4e773.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/6da0c16e27d3e1d9387bde068cf0c44f/61e93/e0d302ce8011af041467ddd4c6d4e773.webp 200w,\n/static/6da0c16e27d3e1d9387bde068cf0c44f/1f5c5/e0d302ce8011af041467ddd4c6d4e773.webp 400w,\n/static/6da0c16e27d3e1d9387bde068cf0c44f/2aa8d/e0d302ce8011af041467ddd4c6d4e773.webp 720w","sizes":"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2339-markdown","title":"New West: The Biggest Tech Cannabis Conference of the Year","slug":"new-west-the-biggest-tech-cannabis-conference-of-the-year","content":"HelloMD is excited to be an exhibitor at New West Summit, the biggest Technology & Scientific based conference in the cannabis industry. This year we hope you can join us and we have a [special 50% off ticket](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-west-summit-30-tickets-30967047272?discount=hellomd) offer to share with you below.\r\n\r\n`embed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQyv39KHl-E` \r\n\r\nNew West is by far the biggest tech cannabis event in California. This year is exciting because there is also a [Consumer Day](https://www.newwestsummit.com/consumer-day/) on Sunday October 15. Consumer day will offer education and interaction with participating brands and dispensaries. There will be free cannabis product samples for attendees over the age of 21.The keynote speaker will be George Clinton of Parliament Funkadelic and other notable figure will appear. But best of all, 100+ brands will be present with product samples and will be available for interaction.\r\n\r\n[RECEIVE a 50% DISCOUNT OFF NEW WEST](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-west-summit-30-tickets-30967047272?discount=hellomd)\r\n\r\nThe New West Summit takes place in Oakland, CA on Oct 13-15, 2017. Over 100 of the top cannabis companies will be participating, with high level speaking panels focused on the future of the industry, and networking with the top players shaping the cannabis space. Last year Richard Branson was the keynote speaker, this year speakers include Jason Silva of Nat Geo and George Clinton of Parliament Funkadelic.\r\n\r\n[](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-west-summit-30-tickets-30967047272?discount=hellomd) \r\n\r\nCheck out the event at [New West Summit](https://www.newwestsummit.com/). If you would like to attend this great event we have a special [discount offer of 50% off tickets](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-west-summit-30-tickets-30967047272?discount=hellomd).\r\n\r\nWe hope to see you in Oakland this October 13-15!\r\n\r\nIf you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's 100% online, private and efficient. \r\n","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3333333333333333,"src":"/static/01976e1c342f12778b3c93036bded8f4/14b42/3765275ac09b298ca46bee2c61472146.jpg","srcSet":"/static/01976e1c342f12778b3c93036bded8f4/f836f/3765275ac09b298ca46bee2c61472146.jpg 200w,\n/static/01976e1c342f12778b3c93036bded8f4/2244e/3765275ac09b298ca46bee2c61472146.jpg 400w,\n/static/01976e1c342f12778b3c93036bded8f4/14b42/3765275ac09b298ca46bee2c61472146.jpg 800w,\n/static/01976e1c342f12778b3c93036bded8f4/47498/3765275ac09b298ca46bee2c61472146.jpg 1200w,\n/static/01976e1c342f12778b3c93036bded8f4/54ac5/3765275ac09b298ca46bee2c61472146.jpg 1365w","srcWebp":"/static/01976e1c342f12778b3c93036bded8f4/58556/3765275ac09b298ca46bee2c61472146.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/01976e1c342f12778b3c93036bded8f4/61e93/3765275ac09b298ca46bee2c61472146.webp 200w,\n/static/01976e1c342f12778b3c93036bded8f4/1f5c5/3765275ac09b298ca46bee2c61472146.webp 400w,\n/static/01976e1c342f12778b3c93036bded8f4/58556/3765275ac09b298ca46bee2c61472146.webp 800w,\n/static/01976e1c342f12778b3c93036bded8f4/99238/3765275ac09b298ca46bee2c61472146.webp 1200w,\n/static/01976e1c342f12778b3c93036bded8f4/5e0b8/3765275ac09b298ca46bee2c61472146.webp 1365w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2431-markdown","title":"HelloMD's Laughter Haven: An Evening of Cannabis & Comedy","slug":"hellomds-laughter-haven-an-evening-of-cannabis-and-comedy","content":"### LAUGHTER HAVEN: AN EVENING OF CANNABIS & COMEDY\n\n**Laugh, Consume, Laugh Some More!**\n\n**A cannabis-consumption event in San Francisco on October 5th, 2017.**\n\nCome spend a cannabis-enhanced evening at HelloMD's Laughter Haven, enjoying a stellar line-up of stand-up comedians. Newly minted Netflix star Mike Winfield headlines, with Steph Garcia and Carlos Rodriguez opening up the show. Connect with cannabis enthusiasts and top cannabis brands in the Bay Area. Drop in to Dope Magazine’s outdoor combustion lounge, where you’ll have plenty of sampling opportunities from smoking flower, to dabbing and vaping. You’ll also have the opportunity to taste some of the area’s best artisanal edibles and elixirs.\n\n**SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:**\n\n>* 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. – Connect + engage + cannabis brand sampling\n>* 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. – 3 stand-up comedians with Netflix star Mike Winfield headlining. Steph Garcia and Carlos Rodriguez open up the show.\n>* 10:30 p.m. – Doors close\n\n**Dope Magazine is the premier sponsor of LAUGHTER HAVEN:**\n\n \n\n**THE COMEDY LINEUP**\n\n**Mike Winfield**\n\nMike E. Winfield in minutes will describe what has happened in your life that very day. Many often leave his live show saying, “Does he live with us?” Strikingly brilliant comedian Mike E. has not slowed down since his debut on The Late Show W/ David Letterman and then winning a reoccurring role on NBC’s The Office. \n\n`embed: https://www.instagram.com/p/BZPQgYiAQ3D/`\n\nYou may have seen him on Showtime’s Comics Without Borders, Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham, and the Arsenio Hall Show. He’s in a new movie PIMPw/ rapper DMX. He’s currently streaming on the Netflix Special Brad Paisley’s Comedy Rodeo. \n\n**Steph Garcia**\n\n \n\nSteph Garcia is best known for her quick wit, ferocious sarcasm, impersonations of drunk girls and hysterical, yet vulnerable stories of life including marriage, kids and regrets. She has entertained thousands by drawing upon experiences from her drunken nights as a single gal to getting married to a U.S. Marine. She’s been seen on ABC's The View, the Funniest Housewife in America, and Comedy Central to name a few.\n\n**Carlos Rodriguez**\n\n \n\nCarlos Rodriguez was thrown into comedy, being born into a large family he quickly became a fast talking entertainer which eventually led him to comedy. Taking the stage you see the inner child come out with all the passion, excitement and energy of a new performer with the grace and comfort of a seasoned pro. Carlos brings a clever, silly and approachable voice to comedy. In a fun and relatable way his observational humor touches beyond daily occurrences to deep rooted memories of his childhood, views on the simplest ideas and the most off beat subject matter.\n\n**THE CANNABIS BRANDS**\n\nHelloMD is proud to partner with top California cannabis brands to bring you the best in cannabis for Laughter Haven. \n\n>* Emerald Alchemy\n>* Vape Exhale\n>* Flow Kana\n>* Somatik\n>* Guild Extracts\n>* Sprig\n>* Sava\n\nand more...\n\n**Please Note:**\n\n>* The event is in San Francisco’s Dogpatch district; the exact location will be disclosed to ticket-holders 24-48 hours prior to the event.\n>* This is a 21+ event. You’ll be required to present your valid California medical marijuana recommendation along with your state-issued photo ID.\n>* No ticket sales at the door. No alcohol served at this venue during the event.\n>* Transportation: We recommend you take lyft/uber or public transportation.\nHelloMD can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it’s easy, fast, private and 100% online.","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.342281879194631,"src":"/static/2bb24c0a9f013d3112645c43c22cc7bc/14b42/bdc893c6eca3a471cced0aa30ec8b7ef.jpg","srcSet":"/static/2bb24c0a9f013d3112645c43c22cc7bc/f836f/bdc893c6eca3a471cced0aa30ec8b7ef.jpg 200w,\n/static/2bb24c0a9f013d3112645c43c22cc7bc/2244e/bdc893c6eca3a471cced0aa30ec8b7ef.jpg 400w,\n/static/2bb24c0a9f013d3112645c43c22cc7bc/14b42/bdc893c6eca3a471cced0aa30ec8b7ef.jpg 800w,\n/static/2bb24c0a9f013d3112645c43c22cc7bc/47498/bdc893c6eca3a471cced0aa30ec8b7ef.jpg 1200w,\n/static/2bb24c0a9f013d3112645c43c22cc7bc/1df4d/bdc893c6eca3a471cced0aa30ec8b7ef.jpg 1370w","srcWebp":"/static/2bb24c0a9f013d3112645c43c22cc7bc/58556/bdc893c6eca3a471cced0aa30ec8b7ef.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/2bb24c0a9f013d3112645c43c22cc7bc/61e93/bdc893c6eca3a471cced0aa30ec8b7ef.webp 200w,\n/static/2bb24c0a9f013d3112645c43c22cc7bc/1f5c5/bdc893c6eca3a471cced0aa30ec8b7ef.webp 400w,\n/static/2bb24c0a9f013d3112645c43c22cc7bc/58556/bdc893c6eca3a471cced0aa30ec8b7ef.webp 800w,\n/static/2bb24c0a9f013d3112645c43c22cc7bc/99238/bdc893c6eca3a471cced0aa30ec8b7ef.webp 1200w,\n/static/2bb24c0a9f013d3112645c43c22cc7bc/e7d03/bdc893c6eca3a471cced0aa30ec8b7ef.webp 1370w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2266-markdown","title":"Your Guide to the Best Meteor Showers in 2017","slug":"your-guide-to-the-best-meteor-showers-in-2017","content":"When waste from comets or asteroids (better known as meteoroids) enters the Earth’s atmosphere, it creates beautiful, blazing streaks of light across the sky that most people refer to as shooting stars. The debris that causes these luminescent trails is actually created by meteors traveling at extraordinarily high speeds as the friction burns through the gases surrounding the earth. Meteor showers occur when clusters of meteors all enter the atmosphere on a parallel path for a period of time, typically when Earth crosses through the path of a comet.\r\n\r\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\r\n\r\nSo far this year, we have already had some stunning major meteors showers that have lit up the skies from the Quandrantids meteor shower at the beginning of the year in January to the Perseids meteor shower that just peaked earlier this month. Luckily, there is still a handful of noteworthy meteor showers coming up this year, so you can start putting together your game plan for a night of wonders. \r\n\r\nMost people might only pair cannabis and space-related events together for more lighthearted reasons (aliens sightings, anyone?), but there’s a good reason to incorporate cannabis into your night of skywatching and stargazing beyond giggles and sci-fi jokes. \r\n\r\nDuring a meteor shower, the goal is to spot as many bright flashes as possible in the night sky. For this activity, you’ll need to be patient and find an area where you can be comfortably reclined. Try to find a safe, dark place that’s free of light pollution to get the best sights possible. Cannabis will help you with staying pleasantly relaxed enough to enjoy the lull between meteor sightings as well as enhance your senses. Consider a balanced, hybrid strain that will stimulate some cerebral activity while your body unwinds. \r\n\r\nRELATED: [Enhancing the Solar Eclipse with Cannabis](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/enhancing-the-solar-eclipse-with-cannabis)\r\n\r\nCheck out this list of some annual meteor showers coming up this year, mark your calendars and pick out your favorite strain for the occasion. \r\n\r\n### The Orionids \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nDebris from Halley’s Comet is to thanks for this annual meteor shower that takes place every fall from October 4 to November 14. Although Halley’s Comet only passes Earth every 75 years, our planet intersects the comet’s orbit, giving us a chance to witness one of the most recognized celestial events. The best window for viewing this meteor shower is between October 21-22 with the peak coming on October 21. \r\n\r\n### The Leonids\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nViewers might be able to spot up to 20 meteors per hour from November 5 to November 30 during this meteor shower that borrows its name from the constellation Leo. Although the brightness of the moon might limit visibility during the earlier days of the meteor shower, a new moon mid-month will arrive just on time for the peak from November 17-18.\r\n\r\n### The Geminids\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThis meteor shower first discovered 2,000 years ago is known for being one of the most intense of them all, but unlike most other showers, comet debris has nothing to do with this unique shower that is actually associated with an asteroid called 3200 Phaethon that orbits the sun. From December 4 to December 16 this event may produce up to 120 individual meteors streaking across the sky per hour. The best nights for visibility will be December 13-14.\r\n\r\n### Ursids \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nFor just one week, from December 17 to December 24, this modest meteor shower will be much more tame than some of the flashier events but it’s still worth trying to catch to close out the end of the year with a little bit of a figurative bang. The best time to view the shower will be near the end of its appearance on December 24th. \r\n\r\nIf you are new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's 100% online, private and efficient. \r\n","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/2wBDABALDA4MChAODQ4SERATGCgaGBYWGDEjJR0oOjM9PDkzODdASFxOQERXRTc4UG1RV19iZ2hnPk1xeXBkeFxlZ2P/2wBDARESEhgVGC8aGi9jQjhCY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2P/wgARCAAPABQDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAGQAAAgMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMBAgQF/8QAFgEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQID/9oADAMBAAIQAxAAAAHhS+2jmHFP/8QAFxABAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABIQIf/aAAgBAQABBQLZQ4//xAAVEQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEf/aAAgBAwEBPwFH/8QAFBEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEP/aAAgBAgEBPwE//8QAFBABAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIP/aAAgBAQAGPwJf/8QAFhABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABEB/9oACAEBAAE/IYiMabD/2gAMAwEAAgADAAAAEJvP/8QAFREBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABH/2gAIAQMBAT8QU//EABYRAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAEf/aAAgBAgEBPxALC//EABoQAQEBAAMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAESExcYH/2gAIAQEAAT8QGsO8yscXUGzd+X//2Q==","aspectRatio":1.3333333333333333,"src":"/static/466d5779dc485f7e1a64c64e548a684a/14b42/7ef3b4117854d03417d516b6bba7b743.jpg","srcSet":"/static/466d5779dc485f7e1a64c64e548a684a/f836f/7ef3b4117854d03417d516b6bba7b743.jpg 200w,\n/static/466d5779dc485f7e1a64c64e548a684a/2244e/7ef3b4117854d03417d516b6bba7b743.jpg 400w,\n/static/466d5779dc485f7e1a64c64e548a684a/14b42/7ef3b4117854d03417d516b6bba7b743.jpg 800w,\n/static/466d5779dc485f7e1a64c64e548a684a/47498/7ef3b4117854d03417d516b6bba7b743.jpg 1200w,\n/static/466d5779dc485f7e1a64c64e548a684a/54ac5/7ef3b4117854d03417d516b6bba7b743.jpg 1365w","srcWebp":"/static/466d5779dc485f7e1a64c64e548a684a/58556/7ef3b4117854d03417d516b6bba7b743.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/466d5779dc485f7e1a64c64e548a684a/61e93/7ef3b4117854d03417d516b6bba7b743.webp 200w,\n/static/466d5779dc485f7e1a64c64e548a684a/1f5c5/7ef3b4117854d03417d516b6bba7b743.webp 400w,\n/static/466d5779dc485f7e1a64c64e548a684a/58556/7ef3b4117854d03417d516b6bba7b743.webp 800w,\n/static/466d5779dc485f7e1a64c64e548a684a/99238/7ef3b4117854d03417d516b6bba7b743.webp 1200w,\n/static/466d5779dc485f7e1a64c64e548a684a/5e0b8/7ef3b4117854d03417d516b6bba7b743.webp 1365w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2421-markdown","title":"Enhancing the Solar Eclipse with Cannabis","slug":"enhancing-the-solar-eclipse-with-cannabis","content":"### Total Solar Eclipse\n\nMillions of people are flooding into rural areas of Oregon and Idaho this weekend to prepare for the total solar eclipse happening on Monday, August 21st. The eclipse will create a 73-mile wide “path of totality,” creating over two minutes of complete darkness as the moon passes in front of the sun, casting a shadow over the earth. A rare cosmic phenomenon, the United States has not seen a total solar eclipse since 1979 and will not see one again until 2024. \n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\n\nWhen it comes to cosmic, cannabis-friendly events, we are about to experience nature’s best. As [described by Rick Fienberg](https://www.space.com/33797-total-solar-eclipse-2017-guide.html), a spokesperson for the American Astronomical Society (AAS), “It brings people to tears. It makes people’s jaw drop.” \n\nDuring a total solar eclipse, the sun’s outer atmosphere, called the corona, becomes visible to the human eye. Some describe the sight as [“great jets and ribbons of light, twisting and curling out into the sky.”](https://www.space.com/33797-total-solar-eclipse-2017-guide.html). Leading up to totality, observers will see the moon’s shadow moving toward them across the landscape - daylight will become twilight for about two minutes - and then the band of darkness will move away.\n\n \n\n### Cannabis-Enhanced Eclipse\n\nEven without a big event like an eclipse, cannabis can inspire spiritual musings on outer space and the meaning of life. Just as reflecting on outer space can remind us of our place within the larger order of the universe, cannabis expands our perspective, encouraging us to view reality from a metaphysical standpoint. \n\nClint Werner, eclipse chaser and cannabis author, [describes why](http://www.greenstate.com/food-travel/a11660624/cannabis-fans-are-freaking-out-for-the-eclipse) the combination of the eclipse and cannabis is special for him; “Each eclipse is, for me, a mandala of cosmic intentionality. Marijuana enhances my reflection on existence and our relationship to the Universe and infinity, while a total solar eclipse gives form and expression through nature to those stoney musings.”\n\nRELATED:[THE INTERNATIONAL CHURCH OF CANNABIS IS OPEN FOR WORSHIP]\n(https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/58feae3c690a06312b371a57/the-international-church-of-cannabis-is-open-for-worship)\n\n\n### Eclipse Events\n\nThe eclipse will be visible from many states across the country, as it passes through Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. NASA has created an [interactive map](https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/) which allows you to search for viewing areas. Offical warnings have been issued for eclipse-chasers to travel well-prepared with food, fuel, and water, as the rural towns that fall within the best viewing areas may run out of resources. \n\nWithin cannabis-friendly states, there are quite a few eclipse events that offer an opportunity to gather with like-minded cosmic travelers.\n\n[Oregon Eclipse Festival:](http://oregoneclipse2017.com/)\n\nPerhaps the largest event happening, this week-long music and art festival has multiple stages and a massive line-up of musical acts, interactive art, seminars, and more. A collaboration of ten different festival promoters, the event takes place at Big Summit Prairie, on the coast in Oregon’s Ochoco Forest. With thousands of revelers in attendance, this is the place to see and be seen. \n\n[The Stoner Eclipse](https://www.high5tours.com/stoner-eclipse-2017/):\n\nHosted by High 5 Tours, The Stoner Eclipse is a three-day field trip, transporting eclipse viewers to a special camp in Unity, Oregon. During the six-hour bus trip, participants will have the opportunity to test out cannabis products and learn more about strains and the art of joint-rolling. \n\n\n[NASA Live Stream:](https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/eclipse-live-stream)\n\nViewable from anywhere with an Internet connection, NASA will air a four-hour show Eclipse Across America complete with live footage of the eclipse, and coverage of the events happening in parks, festivals, and museums across the country. \n\n\nphoto credit ericteske.com\n\n### Create Your Own Cannabis Eclipse Ritual\n\nIf, like me, you have decided to avoid the eclipse-chaser crowds and stay home instead, you can still make the eclipse a special event for yourself or a small gathering of friends. Sit back, relax, and enjoy a traffic-free, peaceful journey. Here are a few ideas for creating your own ritual for using cannabis around the upcoming solar eclipse:\n\n\n>* Choose your cannabis: Prepare ahead of time by having your favorite strain of cannabis or favorite product on hand. Consume mindfully either before, after, or during any of the following recommendations. \n\n>* Set an intention: This eclipse season is a time for turning inward and reflecting on our personal journeys. Take a moment to think about what you want to release from your life and what you want to bring into your life. Then write it down, say it aloud, or say it inwardly. \n\n>* Light candles and incense: Set the mood and enhance your senses with scents and lighting.\n\n>* Create music: The choice of music is a personal one - use it to create the atmosphere you desire. For meditative sounds, there are many recordings available online of Tibetan singing bowls, bells, and mantras. You may also choose to make your own music using whatever instruments you have at home. \n\n>* Meditate or Pray: Repeating mantras or prayers is another powerful way to manifest your intentions. Many spiritual cannabis users pray to Shiva. You may also choose to speak to the sun and the moon directly. Take a moment to be quiet and let your thoughts go, letting the cannabis guide your inner journey. \n\nIf you are new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's 100% online, private and efficient. \n","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3333333333333333,"src":"/static/f3e8d260f8b37b5bb6471e39d764bba5/14b42/19893d57bca26ecb422adf3bc81c41a1.jpg","srcSet":"/static/f3e8d260f8b37b5bb6471e39d764bba5/f836f/19893d57bca26ecb422adf3bc81c41a1.jpg 200w,\n/static/f3e8d260f8b37b5bb6471e39d764bba5/2244e/19893d57bca26ecb422adf3bc81c41a1.jpg 400w,\n/static/f3e8d260f8b37b5bb6471e39d764bba5/14b42/19893d57bca26ecb422adf3bc81c41a1.jpg 800w,\n/static/f3e8d260f8b37b5bb6471e39d764bba5/47498/19893d57bca26ecb422adf3bc81c41a1.jpg 1200w,\n/static/f3e8d260f8b37b5bb6471e39d764bba5/54ac5/19893d57bca26ecb422adf3bc81c41a1.jpg 1365w","srcWebp":"/static/f3e8d260f8b37b5bb6471e39d764bba5/58556/19893d57bca26ecb422adf3bc81c41a1.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/f3e8d260f8b37b5bb6471e39d764bba5/61e93/19893d57bca26ecb422adf3bc81c41a1.webp 200w,\n/static/f3e8d260f8b37b5bb6471e39d764bba5/1f5c5/19893d57bca26ecb422adf3bc81c41a1.webp 400w,\n/static/f3e8d260f8b37b5bb6471e39d764bba5/58556/19893d57bca26ecb422adf3bc81c41a1.webp 800w,\n/static/f3e8d260f8b37b5bb6471e39d764bba5/99238/19893d57bca26ecb422adf3bc81c41a1.webp 1200w,\n/static/f3e8d260f8b37b5bb6471e39d764bba5/5e0b8/19893d57bca26ecb422adf3bc81c41a1.webp 1365w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2343-markdown","title":"Wempowered: A Women's Cannabis Networking Event Addressing Policy & Regulations","slug":"wempowered-a-womens-cannabis-networking-event-addressing-policy-and-regulations","content":"WEmpowered, the cannabis networking group for female entrepreneurs, met for a second time on July 27th at Big Rock in San Francisco. It was an evening full of community, collaboration and conversation with over 100 women in attendance. The content for this event focused on discussing key components of upcoming cannabis regulations, and how to best continue efforts to shape upcoming policy and regulations.\n\nAfter an hour of networking and socializing our host, Carolyn Kissick of Big Rock, welcomed the crowd to Big Rock’s beautiful loft-like space and emphasized the need to support women within the cannabis industry. The keynote speakers for the evening were Amy O’Gorman Jenkins of Platinum Advisors and Angie Monette Harrison of 421 Group. Angie addressed the group on how best to weather the ups and downs of cannabis advocacy through methods she has used in her own life. Amy O’Gorman followed, talking with the audience about how to effectively shape and change cannabis policy based on her experience in legislative, public affairs and political campaigns at the federal, state and local level. \n\nWatch the evening of discussion regarding policy and regulations:\n\n `embed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NsorScUuag` \n\n### Keynote Speakers\n\nAngie Monette Harrison, Principal, 421 Group: Angie skillfully orchestrates teams of passionate, intelligent experts who tackle complex problems—and eliminate fear of the unknown—with smart planning. She excels at helping evolving cannabis companies integrate tried-and-true business practices and manage major transitions while balancing different styles, needs, and personalities. Previously serving as EVP of the SPARC and Peace in Medicine family of companies, Angie brings diverse experience working within and beyond the cannabis sector. A former student of the U.S. Naval Academy and of Sonoma State University’s School of Business and Economics, Angie endeavors to share and promote what makes the cannabis industry beautiful: a renewed interest in nature and politics, and cultural, health, and economic empowerment.\n\n\nAndrea Brooks Founder of Sava & Constance Finley Founder of Constance Therapeutics.\n\nAmy O’Gorman Jenkins, Principal, Platinum Advisors: Amy has over 22 years of experience in legislative, public affairs and political campaigns at the federal, state and local levels. She has specific expertise in matters involving local government, revenue and taxation, water policy, environmental regulation, consumer product safety, and cannabis policy reform. She also spent over 10 years working in local government. For the past four years, she has been directly involved in the development of cannabis policy both in her capacity as a chief of staff to State Senator Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana), who authored landmark cannabis legislation in 2014, and more recently as a legislative advocate for several clients within the cannabis space, including the California Cannabis Industry Association (CCIA).\n\nRELATED: [WATCH LORI AJAX ADDRESS REGULATIONS @ WEMPOWERED](https://hellomd.com/health-wellness/598dfed52471293a2d652405/wempowered-a-womens-cannabis-networking-event-addressing-policy-and-regulations)\n\n\nLili and Carolyn of CannaWise\n \nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en) \n\nIf you are new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's 100% online, private and efficient. \n","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/2wBDABALDA4MChAODQ4SERATGCgaGBYWGDEjJR0oOjM9PDkzODdASFxOQERXRTc4UG1RV19iZ2hnPk1xeXBkeFxlZ2P/2wBDARESEhgVGC8aGi9jQjhCY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2P/wgARCAAPABQDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFwABAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQBBf/EABYBAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIAAf/aAAwDAQACEAMQAAAB1PIbsoWL/8QAGhAAAgMBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIAAxESFP/aAAgBAQABBQL0ZGv2B9nIytjqMXH/xAAWEQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAITH/2gAIAQMBAT8BxH//xAAWEQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAESH/2gAIAQIBAT8BrX//xAAbEAADAAIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARECIRIiUf/aAAgBAQAGPwJ5cV4Lrouh5ZIsrKkf/8QAGxABAAMBAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQARQTFRYbH/2gAIAQEAAT8h0BAV5LiqPQ2AbFmJ3oeHmJYPueT6UT//2gAMAwEAAgADAAAAEPwf/8QAFhEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARAR/9oACAEDAQE/EMFH/8QAFREBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARD/2gAIAQIBAT8QEkf/xAAbEAEAAwEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAABABExIUFxof/aAAgBAQABPxBsdotC1dR+/ksBFwGERXz24FE6Jsf4UAdaQVYFHAbKJwum6dn/2Q==","aspectRatio":1.3333333333333333,"src":"/static/4bb9758609ce8d36cc0a71bd6b32d2a9/14b42/2cdd35e126f0d1c43c52e128af2242bc.jpg","srcSet":"/static/4bb9758609ce8d36cc0a71bd6b32d2a9/f836f/2cdd35e126f0d1c43c52e128af2242bc.jpg 200w,\n/static/4bb9758609ce8d36cc0a71bd6b32d2a9/2244e/2cdd35e126f0d1c43c52e128af2242bc.jpg 400w,\n/static/4bb9758609ce8d36cc0a71bd6b32d2a9/14b42/2cdd35e126f0d1c43c52e128af2242bc.jpg 800w,\n/static/4bb9758609ce8d36cc0a71bd6b32d2a9/47498/2cdd35e126f0d1c43c52e128af2242bc.jpg 1200w,\n/static/4bb9758609ce8d36cc0a71bd6b32d2a9/54ac5/2cdd35e126f0d1c43c52e128af2242bc.jpg 1365w","srcWebp":"/static/4bb9758609ce8d36cc0a71bd6b32d2a9/58556/2cdd35e126f0d1c43c52e128af2242bc.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/4bb9758609ce8d36cc0a71bd6b32d2a9/61e93/2cdd35e126f0d1c43c52e128af2242bc.webp 200w,\n/static/4bb9758609ce8d36cc0a71bd6b32d2a9/1f5c5/2cdd35e126f0d1c43c52e128af2242bc.webp 400w,\n/static/4bb9758609ce8d36cc0a71bd6b32d2a9/58556/2cdd35e126f0d1c43c52e128af2242bc.webp 800w,\n/static/4bb9758609ce8d36cc0a71bd6b32d2a9/99238/2cdd35e126f0d1c43c52e128af2242bc.webp 1200w,\n/static/4bb9758609ce8d36cc0a71bd6b32d2a9/5e0b8/2cdd35e126f0d1c43c52e128af2242bc.webp 1365w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}}]}},"pageContext":{"limit":12,"skip":0,"numPages":2,"currentPage":1,"id":5239,"name":"Event","slug":"event","country":"US"}},"staticQueryHashes":["3949754563","4179947113","4202924991"]}