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Join us February 6 for a pre-registration event!

Join us on February 6 for an exclusive pre-registration event as we near the opening of our dispensary in Lowell in mid-February!

When? February 6 from 10am-4pm

Where? Radisson Chelmsford

What? Meet our staff, get details about our dispensary opening, receive exclusive coupons, preview our menu, and meet our growers! Whether you’re already a patient, or interested in becoming a patient, join us!

RSVP below!

Women in Cannabis: Closing the Gender Gap

Women are increasingly closing the gender gap in the swiftly flourishing medical marijuana industry and here’s why.

Many are finding their path to the industry through policy work, marketing, cultivation or for medical reasons. As the business of medical marijuana continues to expand, the number of positions held by women can be expected to reflect this.

According to a survey conducted by Marijuana Business Daily, women are well-represented in various areas of the medical cannabis trade. Ladies hold 63 percent of high-level posts and 48 percent of senior jobs in process and product manufacturing.

They all share a common interest in shedding the stigma of medical cannabis use and are working in a number of positions to make that happen.

Meganstory Megan Carr serves as Head of Market for SWC Tempe and SWC Prescott, state-licensed medical marijuana dispensaries located in Arizona. Her main challenge is keeping up with the growing demand for more product.

Carr said her “love for the healing power of the plant in its natural form” guided her interest in working with medical marijuana.

“It is such a fast-paced environment. The best part of my job is increasing the quality of life for all those involved, from seed to sale, to medicating,” she said.

Nikki McComack works as the cure and packaging manager at SWC Tempe, an Arizona dispensary and Nikkistory said the best part of her job is helping patients. She said she has not experienced any personal challenges in a position generally held by men.

“Like any job, you have the challenge of proving yourself,” she said. “I have personally seen this medicine help so many. I came to the industry to try and help educate people with the benefits of this wonderful medicine.”

Working directly with patients at Capital City Care has helped Carrie Candaffio reach her goal to help others address medical issues and improve their quality of life.

“There are so many options in medical marijuana. It’s a process for some people to find exactly what they need, and I’m the one that should be able to guide them to relief.”

Jobs in the industry are not limited to dispensary positions, or even jobs requiring direct contact with medical cannabis. There is also a surge in marketing, consulting and social media management positions.

BETHstory “I spend most of my time behind a computer,” said Beth Marchand, Director of Marketing and Promotions for Columbia Care. “I came from outside of the medical marijuana and health care industry, so there was a fast learning curve on the ins-and-outs of our product and patient needs. I get a lot of satisfaction from our work and improving the lives of our patients.”

The growing trend of industry-related groups has also been on the rise.

In 2014, Women Grow, a professional marijuana women’s networking group, was established with a group of 70 female professionals. The group has grown to more than 1,000 women across the country with 30 chapters.

Mia Di MiaStory2 Stefano manages social media for HealthMJ, an organization which advocates for and educates cancer patients about the benefits of medical cannabis. Through HealthMJ, she became involved with the New York City chapter of Women Grow, where she manages sponsors and partnership for networking events.

“I helped care for my father who had multiple myeloma (a type of blood cell cancer) until he died in 2003, and it was clear to me that cannabis could have treated many of the resulting ailments – severe joint pain, nausea, feeding tubes, acute depression or a least greatly reduced the amount of pills he was on.”

I’m grateful to have found a company whose mission is so meaningful to me. We are here to help patients navigate what medical marijuana means for them!”

Talking to Seniors about Medical Marijuana

Almost all of us have senior citizens in our lives who could potentially benefit from medical marijuana. Parents, grandparents, extended family or friends. Whatever the situation, we want and need to be able to talk about cannabis, to have honest, open dialogues about it with the people we care about most. The good thing here is that we CAN have these dialogues now. Medical marijuana is without a doubt one of the hottest topics in the U.S. to the point where presidential candidates are talking about it on national television. In fact, all of the misinformation about cannabis that continues to circulate is another major incentive to keep talking about it. With some people, particularly loved ones we love and respect, talking about cannabis can still be an intimidating notion. Maybe we assume they’re totally against the plant, and we’re afraid how they’ll react if we bring it up. So, if you’re concerned about negative reactions, there are certain methods you can use to approach the topic in a neutral way. If you truly want to change people’s minds about this plant, you’ve got to really do your homework. Know the facts and all the latest information out there on the many aspects of medical cannabis. Exciting, scientific findings are turning up all the time, groundbreaking research that effectively defuses a lot of misconceptions about pot. Don’t just talk about the latest research, actually show it to them. You can easily invite anybody to look at an exciting article you’ve found. Tell them you’d like to get their opinion and you’ve got a dialogue going. You don’t necessarily have to do this, but sharing your own story about medical marijuana can open the door to communication. Once once the person begins to open their mind about the possibilities of cannabis, it’s a lot easier. If you can give your own testimony about how marijuana has added value to your life, you’ll create a tremendous impact on the other person’s mindset. Once you have had the talk, you can begin to slowly introduce methods of ingesting. Whatever method of ingestion you choose, be sure to start slowly. Try a little bit at a time, wait, and if another helping is desired, go for it. Remember it is much better to consume too little marijuana than too much. Remember that the other person will have zero tolerance to THC. And some physicians even suggest that less is more. When elderly patients use cannabis, extra caution is advised simply because THC can cause disorientation and dizziness for some. This is where CBD-rich cannabis strains can be valuable, but availability may be an issue for a lot of people. The important thing here is to go into this knowing that finding an ideal cannabis regimen often takes a bit of trial and error.

Manhattan’s First Medical Marijuana Dispensary Opens And Is Already Working With Mt. Sinai Hospital

“Nicholas Vita and Michael Abbott aren’t just opening New York City’s first medical marijuana dispensary, they are trying to steer the industry to a more data-focused way of matching patients with the strains of medical marijuana to help their specific conditions.” Read the full story here.

Medical Marijuana Ingestion Options

There are many different ways to consume medical marijuana, and no “right” way. Each patient has different symptoms, a different preference. The following is a summary of the ingestion options available to medical marijuana patients in Massachusetts. Smoking Marijuana Flowers In many states, this is the most thought-of form of using medical marijuana. The usual ways to smoke marijuana include grinding or separating the flowers or buds into a smaller and more manageable form and then either rolling it in a wrap or placing it into a pipe. Vaporization is another form of using cannabis. It is achieved by heating up the dried cannabis in a “vaporizer” which does not burn the bud with an open flame but heats it up to a point just before it does burn which releases the cannabinoids in gas form. The gas cannot be seen but is inhaled through a plastic tube or a bag in which the vapor is caught and then inhaled. It is not as hazardous as smoking may be and the potential side effects are not as severe. Vaporizers have traditionally come in a “table top” size but some “E-Pens” claim to vaporize flower as well. Concentrates: Wax, Shatter & Oils Additional options for concentrates are Wax, Shatter and Oils. Extracting and concentrating using chemical processes is not a new thing. Food manufacturers have been doing it for a long time when extracting vitamins from broccoli or caffein from coffee. Hash has also been used for centuries but it was always a long and complicated process. Advancements in butane extractions,similar to the process used for foods, has led to a new and more “high tech” way to smoke concentrates or “do dabs” as the kids are calling it. It may sound complicated and we should always be cautious when chemicals are involved but concentrated Wax and Oils do provide incredibly effective relief for many patients. State Licensed Dispensaries have the resources to test for quality and pure extracts to help encourage safe production and use. Oils and Wax’s may be smoked using traditional smoking tools, like a bong, but VapePens (similar to e-cigarettes) have become the most recent “must have” smoking accessory. Edibles Edibles are a great way to stay medicated without smoking. Eating marijuana-infused edibles usually leads to stronger and longer lasting effects, compared to smoking. However, relief may take anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours depending on what is in the patients stomach and how potent the edible is. There have been recent concerns related to overly potent edibles and the difficulty in controlling dosing. Patients should be sure to read packages for recommended dosing and always start with smaller amounts until you know how edibles will affect you. “Start low, and go slow.” Tinctures Tinctures are liquid concentrates of marijuana cannabinoids mixed with glycerin or alcohol. Patient can put a few drops underneath their tongue and feel the effects, usually within 30 minutes. Tinctures can come in CBD-only products, for those who want no psychoactive effects or THC. The effect can be rather strong, with a relatively small amount of product consumed. Topical Treatments Cannabinoids combine with a penetrating topical cream can be used on the skin. Salves (usually made with coconut oil and bees wax) and creams (usually made with shea butter) can be rubbed directly on the skin to help with relief of muscle strain, inflammation and allergic skin reactions. Capsules For many the idea of smoking medication, eating medicated food or dropping something mixed with alcohol under your tongue does not seem like a “normal way” to medicate. Marijuana cannabinoids in capsules seems more traditional for many patients accustomed to taking traditional medications in capsule format. The science behind recommending dosing for the amounts of THC, CBD and other cannabinoids has come a long way. Kitchens producing edibles and extracts are creating industry standards while patients and their doctors use trial and error methods for trying new products. For many patients all the options are exciting and provide a lot of hope, but it can also be overwhelming for people who are new to marijuana. Patients should remain active in tracking success and sharing reports with their physicians, caregivers and dispensary agents. We should all remain optimistic for what is to come!

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