Nootropic or not? Brain-booster business raises concerns

Nootropics are becoming increasingly popular with consumers because of their accessibility and the apparent lack of downsides that comes with many nootropic products’ brain-boosting claims. However, researchers, federal regulators and members of the supplement industry itself have voiced apprehensions that some ingredients often used in the category have the potential to become addictive or harmful in the long term. The studies that back them up are also subpar—typical human studies on nootropics “have sample sizes of fewer than 50 people and last less than six months.” Read more at The Wall Street Journal …

Rite-Aid will start selling CBD products in 2 states, stop selling e-cigarettes in all stores

Rite-Aid will begin selling “CBD creams, lotions and lip balms in Washington and Oregon this month,” following closely in the footsteps of two other major retailers that have plans to stock topical CBD products in 2019—CVS and Walgreens. Rite-Aid also plans to stop selling e-cigarettes nationwide in light of the teen vaping epidemic. Read more at CNBC …

Kernza crop failure sends General Mills unit to remake plans for new cereal

Kernza is a form of wild wheatgrass “that many believe holds huge potential for environmental and economic benefits,” but a recent crop failure has pushed back the launch of a planned Kernza-based cereal from General Mills subsidiary Cascadian Farm. It has taken years for Kernza to reach the point of commercialization, but the finicky crop has “come to a crossroad” and any decisions made now could “add or subtract decades” to the process. Read more at Star Tribune …

As weeds outsmart the latest weedkillers, farmers are running out of easy options

As herbicides such as glyphosate, dicamba and 2,4-D continue to be thwarted by a host of resistant weeds, farmers are beginning to seriously panic. One weed scientist has introduced ways for farmers to resist especially troubling weed varieties, such as pigweed, but they are far more time- and labor-intensive than the one-stop-shop that herbicides such as Roundup have advertised themselves as for years. Read more at NPR …

When the government mandates work requirements for food stamps, who actually benefits?

The USDA has proposed enforcing work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents to receive SNAP benefits. However, a similar statewide policy enacted in Wisconsin has resulted in multiple civil rights violations and unjustifiably high expenses. Read more at New Food Economy …