Gloria Indica

Hi! Welcome to the 6^th edition of Gloria Indica, our newsletter written and published for Wednesdays and Thursdays, where we train our eyes on cannabis, science, business and technology.

It’s a new day, but is it a new life, in the metaphorical sense? Depends on you, the reader. For how do we know what to do with our lives, if not for the fact that there’s a sword of bills hanging over our heads as we speak? If one were to remove this proverbial sword, what would happen to our mindsets from a livelihood point of view? Would we continue to be dependent on others’ opinions, beliefs and thoughts on what we ought to do for ourselves? No we cannot, for what we are, are a bundle of biological processes striving to prolong our lives on this earth for as far as possible and as pleasurably as possible. And in this context, we must continue to keep looking to gain control of our own destiny. And how do we do that? By understanding all the systems and processes that run the world.

Cannabis Education as a Science

It was about time that science and technology caught up to cannabis and we’re happy for cannabis. It was about time that this plant received the acknowledgement it deserved on account of being one of humanity’s oldest cultivated crops for food, medicine and clothes. Since it’s a plant with recreational, medicinal and industrial-consumer applications, individuals interested to become a part of the worldwide cannabis markets can pick and choose the skills they would need.

For starters, individuals from a science background veering towards botany and chemistry would come to terms with the molecular structure of the plant’s compounds and in due course, their effects on the human body, which would require an understanding of biology. As far as we are concerned, we think that irrespective of the background you already possess, and considering the pre-conceived notions associated with recreational cannabis, each and every cannabis enthusiast in the world must absolutely know the different species of cannabis, their molecular constituents, practical uses of each part of the plant and even agricultural principles if someone is interested in cultivation and so on.

According to Leafly:

“Federally funded state universities are now offering courses in cannabis across majors as diverse as agriculture, chemistry, economics, and journalism, which is a significant step in legitimizing the plant. No longer is cannabis represented on campus by stoner kids in Grateful Dead T-shirts in danger of failing freshman English. Now science majors are learning to make extracts and tinctures”

“Currently, there are two schools where you can earn a four-year degree in cannabis science: Northern Michigan University in Marquette, MI, and Minot State University in Minot, North Dakota, which both offer bachelor’s degrees in Medicinal Plant Chemistry. “The internet has called this a cannabis degree; we call it a chemistry degree,” says Derek Hall, Chief Marketing Officer for Northern Michigan University”

Readers may have many opinions about the United States, some good some bad, some neutral. However, let’s not take anything away from the might of their single-minded focus on research and development in terms of approaching everything from a practical lens, rooted in the principles of science. We love the fact that western populations are stoked about cannabis’ potential to build new markets, and hope that the cannabis wave reaches Asia soon, the land of cannabis’ birthplace.

Let’s keep blazing.

The Home of the Future

Hey reader, have you ever wondered about how your future home would look like, if you already do not own a home, that is?

Firstly, what is home? More than anything else, home is a feeling. A feeling that means safety, security and comfort, starting from the foundation erected into the earth to the walls and roof that form the external core. And what kind of a home and where? These are complicated decisions that one has to make, which in turn is tied in to your economic value – that is your ability to be of importance to someone and be rewarded for it. For all that we have read, we must say this – capitalism rewards the creators, the founders and the owners. If you’re reading this feeling as if you’re comfortable being an employee for someone’s else’s creation, then that is fine, we have nothing against it as long as you’re happy with it.

However, it’s the men and women who have the ability to turn their original idea into a business who will ultimately make the most of their initial investment and belief. Who’re you, dear reader?

Coming back to our future home, we ought to move beyond steel and cement (which are based on mining and crude oil refining) and focus on other materials for our future home. Depending on who you are, you’re happy living in your parents’ house because you’re forced to or because you want to save rent, or you may not mind the monthly rent costs for your home, or maybe you just have never thought about owning a home in the near future, or you’re planning to marry and buy a home for yourself, but the costs are exorbitant and would make you dependent on a bank loan.

What if an individual could assemble a home on his or her own using materials and methods of his or her own choice? Is this even possible? Imagine your own design, your own choice of ecofriendly sustainable materials (like hempcrete for example), you own spaces and lastly, you own choice of lighting, heating and energy arrangements (solar panels). Of course, not to forget a system for clearing both human and non-human waste. Now what about financing this? So much needs to be thought when actually thinking about a home. We definitely need an easier way. We forgot to mention clean water arrangements too.