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Apple’s Mad: Take A Look At This $150 iPhone X Ripoff

Maria Loreto
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Apple’s Mad: Take A Look At This $150 iPhone X Ripoff

You may not have heard of Leagoo, a Chinese company that makes all sorts of devices, but they’re pretty gutsy. The Next Web reports that during 2018’s Mobile World Congress, Leagoo unveiled their latest device, one that takes advantage of all smartphones on the market.

The Chinese company created a miracle device that merges the best of the iPhone and the best of the Samsung Galaxy onto one smartphone called the S9. The cost? $150.

The specs of the device include a screen that measures almost 6 inches and that’s “HD+”, which doesn’t explain much about the technology and can mean almost anything. The phone includes 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, a 13MP rear camera, and Facial Access, which is the ability to do facial ID. Nope, they’re not copying the iPhone.

While Leagoo may face court in the near future, we’re curious to see if the device actually works. If it does, then why are the rest of the smartphones so damn expensive?

Weed Or Alcohol: Which Is More Likely To Lead To Sex Regret?

Amy Hansen
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Weed Or Alcohol: Which Is More Likely To Lead To Sex Regret?

When it comes to that post-hookup regret we all experience at least once in our lives, the feeling is more common after consuming too much alcohol versus marijuana or ecstasy.

Published in the journal Psychology & Sexuality, the experiment examined 679 nightclub and dance festival attendees in New York City (ages 18–25) to examine and compare self-reported sexual effects associated with use of alcohol, marijuana, and ecstasy:

Results suggest that compared to marijuana, alcohol and ecstasy were more strongly associated with heightened perceived sexual effects (i.e. perceived sexual attractiveness of self and others, sexual desire, length of intercourse, and sexual outgoingness).

Increased body and sex organ sensitivity and increased sexual intensity were most commonly associated with ecstasy use. Sexual dysfunction was most common while using alcohol or ecstasy, especially among males, and females were more likely to report sexual dysfunction after using marijuana. Post-sex regret was most common with alcohol use.

Study author Joseph J. Palamar of New York University, told PsyPost that few studies have examined the actual sexual effects of drugs and alcohol, saying, “Whether or not someone uses a condom while high is important. However, limiting research to this behavior really ignores the actual sexual responses associated with drug use that may in fact influence one’s decision to have sex with or without a condom.”

“Each drug is associated with its own level of sexual risk,” said Palamar. “Alcohol is likely the riskiest as use is not only so common, but also promoted throughout much of society.”

“Even if sex itself isn’t risky while on alcohol, post-sex regret is extremely common as users may hook up with someone they normally wouldn’t have sex with.”

Admitting the study was based on self-report, which is limited, Palamar told PsyPost, “Use of multiple drugs at the same time is also common in this population so it may have been difficult for some users to distinguish between effects of different drugs. Many drugs can also affect memory so recall of sexual experiences could have been impaired.”

All Charges To Be Dropped In Tennessee’s ‘Operation Candy Crush’

Terry Hacienda
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All Charges To Be Dropped In Tennessee’s ‘Operation Candy Crush’

Earlier in February, a months-long, seven-agency sting operation shut down nearly two dozen stores for allegedly selling illegal marijuana products that look like candy. But the misguided law enforcement sting appears to have backfired.

All charges are expected to be dropped after several stores in Rutherford County were padlocked and accused of illegally selling CBD gummies. But the candy in question contained CBD from industrial hemp, and law enforcement officials admitted the products did not contain any THC, the psychoactive substance found in cannabis.

According to Nashville-based NewsChannel 5:

Testing cannot determine whether the gummies were made from industrial hemp CBD oil –which is legal – or from marijuana CBD oil – which can be illegal.  As a result, prosecutors cannot make the case in court, and charges are expected to be dropped. If that happens, the cash and gummies will be returned to the merchants. NewsChannel 5 has also learned that several of those merchants are considering lawsuits.

Twenty-three stores were padlocked by law enforcement groups for days before Judge Royce Taylor, who initially signed the warrants, dissolved the temporary injunction and allowed them to reopen last week.

“TBI [Tennessee Bureau of Investigations] is no longer willing to testify that this is a Schedule VI substance. We have no choice but to dismiss,” District Attorney Jennings Jones said on Wednesday.

“We were notified Friday that the DA is dropping the charges,” Stacey Hamilton, a store owner hit by the sting, told the Daily News Journal. “I’m elated and angry, very angry. From the moment I found out what they were doing, I knew I had committed no crime. This has caused an enormous cost to all the store owners,” Hamilton added. “I don’t think they’ll apologize in nearly as public a way as they condemned us as drug dealers.”

Industrial hemp is legal in Tennessee.

 

Parents Are Paying Experts To Have The Sex Talk With Their Kids

Maria Loreto
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Parents Are Paying Experts To Have The Sex Talk With Their Kids

“The Talk” is a legendary, awful experience for parents and kids alike, but it’s kind of a rite of passage for families—one where everyone can come out better for it, bond over shared awfulness, and have a deeper understanding of each other.

No one wants to do it, but is paying someone to do it for you crossing the line into weird territory?  The New York Post reports that a couple that has been struggling to have the talk with their kids is willing to pay someone $3,500 to do the job for them. 

The kids are an eight-year-old girl and a seven-year-old boy, and part of the education they’ll receive will include information on different areas of sex, ranging from foreplay, penetration, gender identity, puberty, menstruation and rape culture.

That’s a lot of information to drill into the brains of young kids.

Both parents are from England and claim they don’t trust the school to provide these services to their kids, while also arguing that this is something they can’t do by themselves. They wish for the expert to provide a thorough background check, since they’ll be left alone with the kids, and expect the sessions to be recorded, just in case they need a refresher of the topics that were covered.

 

The Magic Bus Experience Is The 4/20 Event You Didn’t Know You Needed

Brendan Bures
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The Magic Bus Experience Is The 4/20 Event You Didn’t Know You Needed

Though much of cannabis advocacy has progressed by divorcing the drug from its stoner, hippie past, there’s one holiday where indulgence is strictly encouraged. That would be 4/20, the annual day of celebration for all things marijuana.

Perhaps no pop-up experience honors weed’s psychedelic past more than the Magic Bus Experience. Never heard of it? No worries. For the uninitiated, MBE is a 60,000 square foot adult wonderland “comprised of multiple whimsical environments inspired by marijuana culture.”

The event hits all the wonderful stereotypes you might expect from an event like this. You can explore through a “Hotbox” white-out maze or snuggle up in a massive adult-size Pillow Fort. Feeling inspired or creative? Trek down Artist Avenue, where you can witness artists working and contribute to the Giant Coloring Book.

But perhaps most important of all is something called Munchie Mountain, described as a “a floor to ceiling snack bar” sure to satisfy your cravings. If you need more, purchase the event’s VIP package and you’ll gain access to an all-you-can-eat Chicken Nugget and Tater Tot Bar.

Those lucky enough to live and die in LA can attend the event on 4/20 itself, as MBE will be in town throughout the holiday weekend. You can find out more about the experience and buy tickets here.

WATCH: Justin Theroux Says You Should Absolutely Buy Weed For Your Boss

Amy Hansen
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WATCH: Justin Theroux Says You Should Absolutely Buy Weed For Your Boss

Oh, sweet sweet internet. It’s a land where famous last words can come back to bite you in the ass, over and over again.

Back in 2013, Justin Theroux took questions from GQ readers and his answers couldn’t be more relevant today.

One of the first questions he tackles is how to make a long distance relationship work. Now, if you hadn’t heard, Theroux just split from his famous wife Jennifer Aniston, who lived in LA while Justin preferred to spend most of his time in NYC. According to reports, it was a major reason the two broke up (or at the very least, it didn’t help matters). He responds, “You have to go visit her. You just have to go put the time in and you have to go visit this person.” Okay, Justin.

Theroux, who, along with Aniston, is a cannabis supporter, likely felt much more at home with this question: “My boss asked me to buy pot for him. What should I do?”

Theroux’s answer:

Buy him pot! It’s basically legal everywhere now, so go get him some pot.

More softball questions are asked including “Can you hit on a woman you meet at yoga?” His obvious answer: “No, you can’t. They’re there to do yoga. They’re not there to see your sweaty face trying to hit on them.”

As for when you should split a check, Theroux says it’s a classy move when you’re treating a lady or a person younger than you. But if you can’t afford to pick up the tab, “do that stalling thing and hope the older, better-off person picks it up for you.”

Ironically, Theroux admits he never takes his own advice.

Why Did Avocado Fries Need To Be A Thing?

Brendan Bures
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Why Did Avocado Fries Need To Be A Thing?

You know what I like about avocados? They never ever worry about being too much. It wasn’t enough for avocados when they almost ruined millennials’ financial futures. Nor was it enough when avocados became the new trendy way to propose. Nor was it enough when one food manufacturer chemically engineered a Diet Coke version of avocados called Avocado Light.

Because now avocados want to replace the most ubiquitous American food dish possible—fries. Yes, New York’s Avocado Appetit, the fetishistic restaurant that serves only avocados, has included avocado fries on their menu.  Yes, it’s that dish you didn’t know you didn’t need.

How do they make avocado fries? Well apparently they slice the fruit into fry-like slices. Slap on a quick batter, throw them in the fryer, and that’s it. Drizzle some Japanese mayo on top for added flavor, and we have a product that’s officially doing too much.

One Twitter user summed it up succinctly.

Avocados have officially become the superfood that never stops reminding you that it’s a superfood.

Managing Nausea With Cannabis: What You Need To Know

Dr. Stacey Marie Kerr
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Managing Nausea With Cannabis: What You Need To Know

Laura was a physician who spent much of her clinical time treating substance abuse disorders, and she had no recent experience with cannabis herself. Her aversion to using cannabis when she was going through chemotherapy for breast cancer did not surprise me. Nausea, and the anxiety that preceded its inevitable occurrence, were disabling. I trained with Laura in family medicine, and I had appreciated the beneficial effects of cannabis used by my cancer patients, but it was hard getting Laura to accept my advice.

Finally, I introduced her to a calibrated vaporizer – a method of administration that could provide quick relief, but was different than the ‘smoke a joint out behind the barn’ approach she had imagined. She started with a CBD-rich herb that had a ratio of 2:1 CBD:THC, hoping that the resulting intoxication would be mild enough to tolerate.

I received a call from Laura three days after her latest chemo, and quickly answered it to see if her trial of cannabis had been helpful to her. At first, I was concerned because she was crying into the phone, but when I could understand her words I was thrilled. She reported, “It worked faster, better, and more completely than any of the prescriptions my oncologist gave me.”

If even reading about nausea and vomiting will make you queasy, you may want to jump to the end of this article and skip the potentially nauseating details. Nausea is like that – easy to feel if you are so inclined.

Nausea and vomiting are each distinctive, different problems – clearly related, but quite different when it comes to cause and treatment. Those who suffer know that nausea is worse to live with than vomiting because it is a continuous sensation, and is harder to control.

What Is Nausea?

Nausea and vomiting are protective defense mechanisms in the human body, and short-term episodes can be therapeutic, though miserable. But what if nausea is not short-term? What if it is an unavoidable side effect, or chronic, with no relief in sight?

If there is no clear trigger for nausea, a patient should work with their doctor to discover the underlying problem.  This is true especially if the nausea does not resolve within a day or two because that may be a sign of more serious problems.

Possible Causes of Nausea:

  • Migraine
  • Head injury
  • Seizures
  • Ear disorders, including infections
  • Motion sickness
  • Gastrointestinal disorders
  • Appendicitis
  • Hepatitis
  • Pancreatitis
  • Bacterial or viral infections
  • Medications–chemotherapy and others
  • Toxins – arsenic, pesticides, ricin
  • Pregnancy
  • Heart attack
  • Pain
  • Psychiatric or emotional disorders

How Does Nausea Work?

What is happening in the body when we get nauseated? The brain, the GI system, and the nervous system all have a part in this. We know more about the physiology of vomiting than we do about nausea, so we have better available therapies for its relief.

One key to controlling symptoms seems to be receptors in parts of the brain and in the GI tract that produce and bind with serotonin, a neurotransmitter.  Zofran, a well-known anti-emetic (anti-vomiting) medication, works by blocking the nauseating effects of serotonin release.

Cannabinoids To Manage Nausea

The non-intoxicating cannabinoid CBD interacts with serotonin releasing receptors, and when given in relatively small doses has been shown to help alleviate both nausea and vomiting. CBD can also be effective in easing anxiety, which can help patients manage the angst of chronic nausea.

THC also works well for many as an anti-nausea cannabinoid. When THC binds to the CB1 receptors in specific parts of the brain, it acts to reduce vomiting. The potentially uplifting side effects of THC can also be therapeutic in this case if not too intense. Creating a more positive state of mind is helpful for anyone going through chemotherapy, or for anyone experiencing difficult-to-treat, chronic nausea.

CBDA, the acidic, raw form of CBD, is even more active at the serotonin receptors, and preclinical (animal) studies indicate that CBDA is a potent anti-emetic, stronger than either CBD or THC.  CBDA is the form of CBD that exists in the growing CBD-rich plant, before the plant has been dried or heated. With heating, CBDAbecomes CBD, just like THCA decarboxylates to become THC.  Currently, the best source of CBDA would be juice from fresh, high-CBD plants, but in the future dispensaries may be able to offer CBDA products for patients with need.

Nausea Related To Cancer Treatment

State of mind during chemotherapy can include the “nocebo effect” –  negative expectations of treatment – that leads to anticipatory nausea. Just the thought of inevitable side effects can be overwhelming. This is especially true if the first round of chemo is not treated effectively. Prescription antiemetics are not helpful for anticipatory nausea, but cannabis shows promise. Prof. Linda Parker, a behavioral neuroscientist at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, has found that several phytocannabinoids including THC, CBD, and CBDA alleviate anticipatory nausea in conditioned lab animals. Clinical trials on humans are needed.

Where To Start

For patients who have nausea caused by chemotherapy, radiation, or other identifiable reasons, cannabis can provide relief. THC, CBD, and CBDA all show promise in research labs and have already proven themselves in the homes of patients who have experience. Whole plant medicine is more effective than any isolated cannabinoid, but which cannabinoid profile should you start with if this is your goal?

That depends somewhat on your experience with the medicine. If you have never tried this before, it might be best to start with a CBD-rich medicine that still has some THC in the mix, like Laura did. As you get used to the medicine, you can increase the amount of THC as needed. And if you have access to the non-intoxicating CBDA, that would be a very good one to include.

The use of cannabis for nausea, and for vomiting due to chemotherapy or radiation, is accepted by many physicians who do not otherwise recommend cannabis. It is effective, well-tolerated, and while we may not understand all the mechanisms of action we do know it works. Patients should know where their medicine is grown and prepared, and use only lab analyzed cannabis that is free of contaminants. With quality medicine, the chances of relieving nausea may be a single dose away, just like it was for Laura.

Stacey Kerr, M.D. is a family physician who has provided family-centered childbirth experiences for her patients for more than fifteen years. She writes about current issues in medical practice and has been published extensively in medical journals, including JAMA, California Family Physician, and Sonoma Medicine. She writes a monthly health column for the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. She is the editor of the TMCI comprehensive course on Clinical Cannabinoid Medicine, and the author of Home Birth in the Hospital. This article was originally published by Hawaiian Ethos. 

Meghan Markle Surprises The Crown By Openly Supporting ‘Me Too’ Movement

Maria Loreto
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Meghan Markle Surprises The Crown By Openly Supporting ‘Me Too’ Movement

Being political is not something that’s generally attributed to the royal family, but Meghan Markle has once again turned expectations around.

Wednesday’s first annual Royal Foundation forum was the first to publicly bring together Prince Harry, Prince William, the Duchess of Cambridge, and Meghan Markle. Here, Markle showed open support of women’s issues and movements such as Time’s Up, and Me Too, claiming that these were great times for women to be empowered and for their voices to be heard.

I hear a lot of people speaking about girls’ empowerment, finding and knowing their worth, and women’s empowerment as well. You’ll often hear people saying but you’re helping women find their voices. I fundamentally disagree with that because women don’t need to find a voice, they have a voice, they need to feel empowered to use it and people need to be urged to listen.

There is no better time to really continue to shine a light on women feeling empowered and people really helping to support them, men included in that. It makes such a tremendous difference.

The Huffington Post claims that these types of statements are very strange coming from royals, who generally stay away from political stances or biases. William Hanson, British etiquette expert, says that royalty is meant to be above politics and related matters. He continued saying that Markle “may need to slightly adjust her forthrightness when she marries Prince Harry in May.”

While it may be breaking protocol, it’s refreshing to see Markle standing next to monarchs and taking a stance on something that she obviously cares about. Maybe it’s time for the royal protocol to evolve, and to be more in touch with reality and day-to-day events.

Markle has been known to take an interest in women’s issues since the beginning of her career, publicly stating her opinions and being an advocate for UN Women.

Cannabis Products Will Surpass Craft Beer Sales In California

Terry Hacienda
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Cannabis Products Will Surpass Craft Beer Sales In California

Californians love their beer — especially microbrews. But according to a new report, the cannabis industry will surpass the beer business in the state by early as next year.

The Golden State is the birthplace of the American craft brewing movement and, along with its neighboring state of Oregon, is at the forefront of the industry’s growth. California is home to 900 craft breweries, more than any other state in the nation. Supermarket sales of craft beer in the state amounted to more than $150 million a year and craft beer accounts for nearly 20 percent of total beer sales. 

But recreational cannabis, which has been sold for only two months so far, will take a huge chunk of market share from beer. A report from research firm BDS Analytics forecasts cannabis sales to hit $3.7 billion by the end of this year. The report predicts that sales will increase to $5.1 billion in 2019.

For comparison, overall beer sales in California hit $5 billion in 2017, according to IBIS World, a beer industry research group.

As Business Insider reports:

  • California — the world’s sixth largest economy with a population of close to 40 million — will be a huge chunk of the total market for cannabis in North America. Legal marijuana sales hit $9.7 billion across the seven states where recreational marijuana is legal, excluding California, and Canada in 2017 alone, according to BDS. That number is expected to hit $24.5 billion in sales by 2021, despite continued federal prohibition.

By 2021, BDS Analytics says the state will collect nearly $1.5 billion in taxes from recreational marijuana sales.

Sales of alcohol typically decline in states that enact medical marijuana programs, according to a report from researchers from the University of Connecticut and Georgia State University.

The researchers concluded:

States legalizing medical marijuana use experience significant decreases in the aggregate sale of alcohol, beer and wine. Moreover, the effects are not short-lived, with significant reductions observed up to 24 months after the passage of the law.

A 2016 analysis of beer sales in Colorado, Oregon, and Washington reported that retail sales “collectively underperformed” in the years following the enactment of adult-use marijuana regulation.

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