SpaceX will launch one of its Falcon 9 boosters for a record 20th time tonight, Friday, highlighting once again the success of the company’s reusable rocket system.
Booster 1062, which took its first flight in November 2020, will lift off from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, on Friday, April 12, on a mission to deploy 23 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit.
A live webcast of the record-breaking flight will begin on X (formerly Twitter) at 9:34 p.m. ET, about five minutes before liftoff.
Those tuning in will witness the Falcon 9 rocket climb into the sky for a record 20th time, along with stage separation and the deployment of SpaceX’s internet satellites. The webcast will also show the first-stage booster landing upright on the A Shortfall of Gravitas Drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean about eight minutes after launch, a feat that will pave the way for the rocket’s 21st flight.
A backup opportunity for Friday’s mission is available on Saturday should the targeted flight schedule require adjustment for any reason.
Booster 1062 last flew on March 16 and also holds the record for the fastest turnaround at 21 days following a flight on April 8, 2022. The rocket has previously launched GPS III Space Vehicle 04, GPS III Space Vehicle 05, the crewed Inspiration4 and Ax-1 flights, Nilesat 301, OneWeb Launch 17, ARABSAT BADR-8, and 12 Starlink missions.
Founder: The mission was the brainchild of Jared Isaacman, the billionaire CEO of Shift4 Payments. He purchased all four seats aboard the Dragon for a reported $50 million each, with the goal of flying the first all-civilian crew to space and raising funds for St. Jude4.
Inspiration4 represented a new era for human spaceflight and exploration, demonstrating that space travel is not limited to professional astronauts but can be achieved by private individuals with a passion for exploration and philanthropy.
The mission overlapped with the 55th anniversary of Gemini 11, which in September 1966 had an apogee of approximately 1,368 km (850 mi), the highest Earth orbit ever reached on a crewed flight. The Inspiration4 flight reached an orbital altitude of approximately 585 km (364 mi), the highest achieved since STS-103 in 1999 and the fifth-highest Earth orbital human spaceflight overall. By comparison, the International Space Station is at 408 km (254 mi). The Inspiration4 mission concluded with the first crewed splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean since Apollo 9 in 1969.
Vapor Trail of SpaceX launches seen over 100 miles away in St Augustine, Floride 2023
Steven M Smith InspirationalTech.org CEO since 2013.
More than 965,000 signatures collected to legalize recreational marijuana in Florida, Trulieve says.
More than 965,000 signatures collected to legalize recreational marijuana in Florida, Trulieve says.
TAMPA, Fla. – Trulieve says it has collected more than 965,000 signatures for the Smart and Safe Campaign to legalize the adult use of recreational marijuana in Florida. That’s more than enough signatures to get on the 2024 ballot, assuming the ballot language is approved by the state supreme court, a heavily conservative-leaning court. Attorney General Ashley Moody is among those fighting it, saying the court should reject the proposal. Still, this advancement in the process has the pro-legalization side feeling confident. “I have confidence that it’s going to pass the Supreme Court review. And then really, you know, it’s up to the voters and the people of Florida,” said Michael Minardi, an attorney and Chairman of Regulate Florida.
If the initiative does pass, it would need the approval of at least 60 percent of voters. In 2016, 71 percent of voters approved medical marijuana. Minardi believes legalization would increase tourism, jobs and create a tax windfall. “Absolutely, I would see in excess of, you know, one to two billion dollars the first couple of years of adult use here in the state of Florida,” he said. On the other hand, opponents say Florida doesn’t need another intoxicant, especially in the hands of kids. “There’re more problems with abuse and addiction. We need more treatment. So, I think the costs would be much higher than the average voter would know about,” said Ellen Snelling with the Hillsborough County Anti-Drug Alliance. “It’s kind of like marijuana on crack. We do not need this legalized in our state,” she added. Trulieve says it has polling that shows 65 percent of Floridians support legalization.
You can view the whole article at this link More than 965,000 signatures collected to legalize recreational marijuana in Florida, Trulieve says.
The ballot initiative aims to amend the Florida Constitution to allow individuals over 21 years old to purchase and consume marijuana.
Additionally, it seeks to protect medical marijuana clinics and future licensed businesses from criminal penalties for selling marijuana for recreational use.
The proposal faced legal challenges, including opposition from Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody and other groups. However, the Supreme Court disagreed with their argument that the initiative covered more than one subject.
The Court’s opinion emphasized that allowing businesses to distribute personal-use marijuana and authorizing individuals to possess it are logically related. Legalization of marijuana implies availability for consumers, and selling it cannot reasonably occur while possession remains criminalized.
The group Smart and Safe Florida, which pushed for the issue to be on the ballot, expressed satisfaction with the decision and looks forward to advocating for safe cannabis use among adults.
On the other hand, Florida House Speaker Paul Renner criticized the ballot initiative, calling it overly broad and driven by self-interests.
More than 965,000 signatures collected to legalize recreational marijuana in Florida, and the Florida Supreme Court Agrees. No April Fools, majority Rules. #IntheWeedswithSteveBe patient Florida, this too, shall pass!
Florida has specific laws regarding marijuana, and it’s essential to understand them. Here are the key points:
Medical Use:
Medical use of marijuana is legal in Florida.
Qualifying patients (21 years and older) with specific medical conditions can purchase or use medical marijuana as recommended by licensed physicians.
Some qualifying conditions include ALS, cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, PTSD, and chronic pain related to specific medical conditions.
Minors can designate adult caregivers to assist in obtaining medical marijuana.
Recreational Use:
Recreational cannabis remains illegal in Florida.
Possession of any amount of weed is against the law.
Possession of more than 20 grams (25 lbs) of cannabis is considered a felony.
Growing Marijuana:
Individuals and businesses are prohibited from growing marijuana.
However, state-licensed cultivators are allowed to grow it.
Penalties:
Florida imposes fines and jail time for simple possession of marijuana.
Possession of any quantity of marijuana is illegal.
Medical Marijuana Cards:
Patients must possess active medical marijuana cards to legally use medical marijuana.
Over 750,000 Floridians currently hold active medical marijuana cards.
More than 2,500 certified doctors assist in determining appropriate medical marijuana treatments.
Dispensaries:
There are over 450 open marijuana dispensary locations in Florida as of October 2022.
Legalization Efforts:
Florida residents and lawmakers have been exploring adult-use marijuana legalization.
As the cannabis industry continues to evolve, vaping is making strides as a mainstream method for consuming rosin, a solventless cannabis concentrate known for its purity and potency. Despite a general decline in cannabis concentrate sales from 2021 to 2023, rosin has defied the trend, showing strong market growth.
According to Headset data, while overall concentrate sales dipped, rosin’s market share nearly doubled, indicating a shift in consumer preference towards cleaner, more natural cannabis products.
The Rosin market share soared from $24 million to $44 million, climbing from 6.5% to 16% within the cannabis concentrate segment. This growth propelled it past shatter in 2022, making it the second most dominant type of cannabis concentrate, just behind live resin.Industry Leaders Agree
Around the same time that data was released, industry experts at the 2023 Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference in Chicago gathered to discuss the future of cannabis consumption, with a particular focus on manufactured products like vapes. Luna Stower, CIO of ISPIRETechnology and upcoming speaker at this year’s Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference highlighted the increasing consumer shift from traditional flower to vape cartridges and disposables.
“Vaporizing offers numerous advantages over smoking, making cannabis more accessible,” Stower explained. She emphasized the importance of adhering to GMP and ISO standards to avoid regulatory issues, making vapes an appealing option for those new to cannabis.
Challenges And Opportunities in Vape Technology
Despite the growing popularity of vaping, challenges remain in finding vaporizers that can consistently deliver high-quality vaporization effects for live rosin. The complex nature of rosin, rich in terpenes, often leads to clogging issues in ceramic heating elements used in vapes. The industry has yet to overcome these technological hurdles to embrace rosin vapes as a widespread consumption method fully.Manufactured Cannabis Products Gain Traction
The conversation at last year’s conference also shed light on the broader trend of manufactured cannabis products gaining market share. Products like edibles and vapes offer higher margins, efficiency, and ease of use than traditional flower, making them increasingly attractive to consumers and businesses. Automation and technology play vital roles in this shift, enhancing the scalability and cost-effectiveness of manufacturing processes.
As the cannabis industry navigates these evolving consumption trends and technological advancements, vaping stands out as a promising area for growth. The move towards safer, more convenient, and more efficient consumption methods like vaping reflects the changing landscape of the cannabis market and consumer preferences.
The CBD Effect on Cannabis
While Cannabis is a very crucial part of the Marijuana movement, we must remember that CBD is a complex field with ongoing research, legal considerations, and exciting technological advancements.
Florida has specific laws regarding marijuana, and it’s essential to understand them. Here are the key points:
Medical Use:
Medical use of marijuana is legal in Florida.
Qualifying patients (21 years and older) with specific medical conditions can purchase or use medical marijuana as recommended by licensed physicians.
Some qualifying conditions include ALS, cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, PTSD, and chronic pain related to specific medical conditions.
Minors can designate adult caregivers to assist in obtaining medical marijuana.
Recreational Use:
Recreational cannabis remains illegal in Florida.
Possession of any amount of weed is against the law.
Possession of more than 20 grams (25 lbs) of cannabis is considered a felony.
Growing Marijuana:
Individuals and businesses are prohibited from growing marijuana.
However, state-licensed cultivators are allowed to grow it.
Penalties:
Florida imposes fines and jail time for simple possession of marijuana.
Possession of any quantity of marijuana is illegal.
Medical Marijuana Cards:
Patients must possess active medical marijuana cards to legally use medical marijuana.
Over 750,000 Floridians currently hold active medical marijuana cards.
More than 2,500 certified doctors assist in determining appropriate medical marijuana treatments.
Dispensaries:
There are over 450 open marijuana dispensary locations in Florida as of October 2022.
Legalization Efforts:
Florida residents and lawmakers have been exploring adult-use marijuana legalization.
Also on Friday, Doug Kass posted that on the social media platform X that the DEA will soon announce the rescheduling of cannabis to Schedule III.
“We have learned yesterday that the US Drug Enforcement Administration will shortly approve a rescheduling of cannabis to Schedule III –and that the biggest legal hurdle, an international treaty (the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1961)), to which the US is a signatory has been resolved favorably,” Kass posted.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has also recommended the DEA reschedule cannabis as Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act
How hard it is to survive in the cannabis space?
On the one hand, the marijuana industry is nascent as the plant has been stigmatized for decades. Being illegal at the federal level makes operating that much more complicated. On the other hand, the industry continues to progress. Each year more states and countries embrace it, and new studies confirm the vast potential of marijuana’s healing properties that our ancestors knew centuries ago.
So, it’s difficult, but not impossible to maneuver in the cannabis space.
Often viewed as one of the biggest challenges is the lack of access to banking and financial services due to marijuana’s Schedule 1 status, which the DEA classifies as having no accepted medical value and has high abuse potential.
On the complexity of regulatory issues, she told us that “all of cannabis is complex, but the most complex regulatory issues arise with new regulations or changes to existing regulations – it can be difficult to understand how these regulations are used in practice. The most common misapprehension about the cannabis industry is that we are all risk-takers living on the edge – the reality is that most of us in this industry are all super compliance-focused and constantly checking to make sure that we’re following every single applicable rule.”
Regulatory Compliance First
In January, the government released hundreds of pages of documents related to its ongoing review of the status of cannabis under federal law, confirming that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has recommended the DEA reschedule cannabis as Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act. This means that HHS has acknowledged some medical value of marijuana, and the rescheduling is being considered. We asked Ayinehsazian, a respected California Advocate of Marijuana Law Deregulation how much would change in the marijuana industry in terms of regulatory issues, banking services and taxes if cannabis is reclassified to Schedule III.
“I think that even with rescheduling regulatory compliance would still remain of great importance,” she said. “Banking and taxation would be greatly improved though – the current banking issues we face as a result of federal illegality would be greatly alleviated, as would the federal taxation issues associated with 280E.”
Ayinehsazian said that in terms of taxation and banking, both rescheduling and de-scheduling would be about the same. “In terms of regulatory requirements, de-scheduling may present a bit less of a burden, but I think that no matter what, we’re still looking at regulatory compliance being incredibly important.”
The 280E is an IRS tax code, which states that “no deduction or credit shall be allowed in running a business that consists of trafficking a controlled substance.” This means that until cannabis is removed from a list of controlled substances on the federal level, there will be no tax deductions or credits given to legal cannabis operators.
Sahar Ayinehsazian is an attorney in Vicente Sederberg’s Los Angeles office, where she focuses on cannabis banking, corporate transactions, and regulations. With her specialized knowledge, Sahar helped to establish and currently co-leads Vicente Sederberg’s Banking and Financial Services Department. As a member of the National Cannabis Industry Association’s Banking Access Committee, Sahar also works on strategy and educational advocacy to enable state-licensed businesses to obtain accounts at depository institutions. Prior to joining Vicente Sederberg, Sahar served as the Director of Regulatory and Governmental Affairs at a multi-state money transmitter servicing the cannabis industry, where she developed a comprehensive understanding of credit card flow, banking and cannabis compliance. She holds a Bachelor of Arts, with honors, from the University of California, San Diego and a law degree from Loyola Law School, where she was a Loyola Scholar
The CBD Effect on Cannabis
While Cannabis is a very crucial part of the Marijuana movement, we must remember that CBD is a complex field with ongoing research, legal considerations, and exciting technological advancements.
Florida has specific laws regarding marijuana, and it’s essential to understand them. Here are the key points:
Medical Use:
Medical use of marijuana is legal in Florida.
Qualifying patients (21 years and older) with specific medical conditions can purchase or use medical marijuana as recommended by licensed physicians.
Some qualifying conditions include ALS, cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, PTSD, and chronic pain related to specific medical conditions.
Minors can designate adult caregivers to assist in obtaining medical marijuana.
Recreational Use:
Recreational cannabis remains illegal in Florida.
Possession of any amount of weed is against the law.
Possession of more than 20 grams (25 lbs) of cannabis is considered a felony.
Growing Marijuana:
Individuals and businesses are prohibited from growing marijuana.
However, state-licensed cultivators are allowed to grow it.
Penalties:
Florida imposes fines and jail time for simple possession of marijuana.
Possession of any quantity of marijuana is illegal.
Medical Marijuana Cards:
Patients must possess active medical marijuana cards to legally use medical marijuana.
Over 750,000 Floridians currently hold active medical marijuana cards.
More than 2,500 certified doctors assist in determining appropriate medical marijuana treatments.
Dispensaries:
There are over 450 open marijuana dispensary locations in Florida as of October 2022.
Legalization Efforts:
Florida residents and lawmakers have been exploring adult-use marijuana legalization.
Understanding pain and recognizing that you are not alone.
Research tells us that 50 million Americans live with chronic pain, or pain that lasts most days or every day for three months or more. Of this group, 20 million experience high-impact chronic pain, or pain that interferes with basic functioning and activities of daily living. Pain is the number one reason that Americans access the health care system, and costs the nation up to $635 billion each year in medical treatments, disability payments, and lost productivity.
Yet despite these staggering numbers, chronic pain is vastly under-recognized, underfunded, and under-treated when considering its significant impact on American lives. Research, treatment options, and support for those affected individuals still lag behind other major diseases.
CBD (cannabidiol) has garnered attention as a potential remedy for various health issues, including pain management. Let’s delve into how CBD can help with inflammation, chronic pain, and arthritis:
CBD for Inflammation:
Research suggests that CBD may have a positive effect on inflammatory pain. Although many studies have been conducted on animals, their results may not directly translate to humans.
A 2020 review indicated that CBD could interact with neurological receptors in the spinal cord, potentially suppressing chronic inflammatory pain.
Additionally, CBD may increase levels of AEA (an endogenous cannabinoid), which is known to reduce pain.
CBD for Chronic Pain:
In a 2018 study, researchers evaluated CBD’s pain-relieving effects in individuals who experienced chronic pain after kidney transplants.
Six out of seven participants reported improvements in pain. Interestingly, one participant experienced more pain at higher CBD doses but found better pain management at lower doses.
CBD for Arthritis Pain:
Cannabinoids, including CBD, interact with receptors that influence pain and inflammation in the body.
While animal studies have suggested that CBD has pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory properties, these effects have not been conclusively validated in high-quality human studies.
Remember that CBD’s efficacy can vary from person to person, and it’s essential to consult with a healthcare professional before incorporating CBD into your pain management routine. Always check your local laws and regulations regarding CBD usage.
Steven M Smith InspirationalTech.org CEO since 2013.
