Category Archives: Entertainment Plus Creations

Gearing up for legal cannabis

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Tobacco Journal International May 2024

Dried cannabis on gavel standThe legal recreational use of cannabis for smoking, eating and drinking has skyrocketed in  the United States in the more than 10 years since the state of Colorado became the first US jurisdiction to legalise the plant for adult recreational consumers in January 2014.1 As of 29 February 2024, some 38 states have legalised the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes and 24 of these (plus the federal District of Columbia) also allow recreational consumption. More states are expected to follow suit this year, with liberalisation proposals under consideration in Florida, Hawaii, South Dakota and New Hampshire.
As a result, analysts from Germany-based statistical analysis service Statista said annual American sales of legal, regulated cannabis products have already exceeded USD
30 billion. Continue reading →

North America market report: Weak demand and expanding regulations affect coatings industry

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Polymers Paint Colour Journal April 30, 2024

Ed Zwirn, New York, Heba Hashem, Niagara Falls and Keith Nuthall report on how the North American coatings sector is struggling with weak demand and expanding regulations

The North American paint and coatings sector has been treading water as it struggles against flat demand and increasing regulatory burdens. In the USA, the paint and coatings industry has faced declining sales volumes prompted by tailwinds in the construction sector. At the same time, industry value increased slightly last year, propelled by solid margins and growth in OEM (original equipment manufacturer) purchases and special coatings sales.
Continue reading →

Focus on automotive: Automotive industry transforms towards sustainability model

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Polymers Paint Colour Journal Feb. 6 2024

By Ed Zwirn, New York, Julian Ryall, Tokyo and Sara Lewis, Brussels, report for PPCJ on the latest trends and innovations in the automotiv
coatings industry

The automotive industry is undergoing transformational change as it moves toward low or zero emissions technology such as electric vehicles – so it is no surprise that significant innovation is being introduced to vehicle paints and coatings. Continue reading →

Over 44 million people are affected by student loan debt

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By Ed Zwirn

New York Post, Aug. 19,2017

Now is the time to load up your car for the hours-long drive to take your child to college — with little thought given to the loans taken out back in the spring to put them in class.

Nationwide, student loan debt affects more than 44 million borrowers, who owe about $1.3 trillion, according to a survey by LendEDU, a private firm that connects students and their families with student loans and loan refinancing. Continue reading →