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Montel Williams Smokes Marijuana Every Day And It Saved Him From Opioid Addiction

Brendan Bures
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Montel Williams Smokes Marijuana Every Day And It Saved Him From Opioid Addiction

“Cannabis should have been treated like any other plant-based medicine for the past hundred years: find the best portion of this drug and use it in the best modality it can be used for.”

Montel Williams has long served as an outspoken advocate for legalizing medicinal marijuana use. Williams contributed to legalization efforts in New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut.

The former talk show host and naval officer was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis shorty after retiring from the military. Following a “horrific battle” with opioid painkillers and addiction, Williams found cannabis, which he uses daily to promote flexibility and nerve-protective neuroplasticity, in addition to reducing his pain.

Cannabis “helps me to function,” Williams told Business Insider.


Williams has consumed marijuana every day for 17 years as a result. His advocacy “was lobbying literally for myself,” he told Forbes. That same philosophy as cannabis as a proper medicine Williams has employed while tirelessly leading awareness efforts has trickled into his latest business venture, LenitivLabs by Lenitiv Scientific.

LenitivLabs, which was founded by Montel Williams, is a line of top quality medicinal marijuana specifically targeting patients. The product recently became available in California and is currently being sold in more than 30 dispensaries.

Via the company’s website:

Lenitiv Scientific’s line of proprietary products utilize the latest cannabis manufacturing technologies and research to deliver products that are high-quality and consistent. Products contain no harmful additives and are clearly labeled and packaged in consistent, standardized doses….

Lenitiv Scientific’s mission is to ensure that seriously ill individuals have access to high-quality, standardized medicine to manage their symptoms.

Part of why Williams stepped into the industry goes beyond pure business interests. As the drug that helped improve and possibly save his life becomes more widely embraced and legalized, Williams has seen focus placed on recreational usage consumers. Weed-dosed junk food has filled dispensaries and he feels not enough are treating cannabis as the medicine it is. Williams didn’t hold much back.

“There have been times I’ve been so disappointed with the industry. People jump in, see it as the ‘green rush,’ and forget that 17 years ago people were dragged out of their homes with IVs in their arms, in their wheelchairs, for growing marijuana to treat awful symptoms of cancer,” Williams said to Forbes. “As things have changed in the past five years, people have forgotten that there were patients left on the battlefield.”

“Honestly, I’ve been appalled by aspects of this industry. Cannabis should have been treated like any other plant-based medicine for the past hundred years: find the best portion of this drug and use it in the best modality it can be used for.”

Christian Blogger Claims That Yoga Causes Demonic Trances

Maria Loreto
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Christian Blogger Claims That Yoga Causes Demonic Trances

Meet Matt Walsh. He’s a writer for the Daily Wire, who believes that yoga is a pagan ritual and that Christians should find some other activity to do.

The controversy began with, as many things do, a tweet that gathered a lot of attention. People thought it was, well, dumb. And it is.

Walsh decided that the best way to prove his point would be to write a lengthy article where he traces yoga’s roots back to ancient Hindu practices and details everything that’s sinful about it. In his piece, he does a lot of things, one of the most interesting ones being his comparison of Christians who do yoga to G-rated porn (whatever that is).

While Walsh doesn’t believe that Christians who practice yoga will go straight to hell — what a relief — he claims that it’s similar to playing with a Ouija board or believing in horoscopes. He says that while those things aren’t harmful in and of themselves, and that they can be done with good intentions, true Christians should seek out other forms of entertainment.

Via Daily Wire:

I don’t think you’ll automatically be possessed if you do yoga. I don’t think all yoga practitioners go to Hell. But neither do I see how a pagan ritual could ever help someone get to Heaven, and maybe that’s reason enough to leave it alone.

While he clearly spent time and research on this rant, the end result is still the same. In fact, the more you read the article, the more ridiculous it is. The original tweet pales in comparison.

RIP Matt Walsh. The Internet can be a pretty savage place.

Medical Marijuana User Olivia Newton John Gives Health Update On Second Cancer Fight

Amy Hansen
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Medical Marijuana User Olivia Newton John Gives Health Update On Second Cancer Fight

During a benefit concert to raise money for the Santa Barbara wildfires, Olivia Newton John gave an update on her well-being since being diagnosed with cancer for a second time last May.

“Entertainment Tonight” caught up with the 69-year-old, who told them, “I’ve been great.” Newton-John, who also performed at the concert, added, “Yeah, I feel really good.”

Newton-John, who sang a few hits from Grease, told ET she wanted to help the victims of the fire that destroyed more than a thousand buildings and nearly 300-thousand acres this past December.

“I feel so fortunate to have had the success I’ve had, and to do the wonderful things I do,” she explained. “And to give back—I’d love to be able to do that.”

Last September, she told “Today” that she is using medical marijuana, which she credits for helping her get back on her feet during bouts of crippling pain:

People have this vision from the ’60s of people just sitting around, you know, getting stoned, and I think it’s not about that. This plant is a healing plant. I think we need to change the vision of what it is because it helped me greatly and it helps with pain and inflammation.

When she was treated for cancer the first time, Newton-John said she felt the need for more than just traditional treatment. She supplemented chemotherapy with meditation, yoga, art and music—all of which she offers other cancer patients at her wellness and research center in her hometown of Melbourne, Australia.

During an interview with Australia’s Sunrise last December, she said she was feeling well and that she has “no pain and life is wonderful.”

Royal Experts Think This Is What Prince William And Kate Will Name Their Baby

Amy Hansen
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Royal Experts Think This Is What Prince William And Kate Will Name Their Baby

Kate Middleton is expected to give birth to her third child in April, which means people are getting hyper aggressive with trying to guess what the blessed child will be named.

Most people (bookies) are taking bets, with the most popular guesses being traditional names, like Victoria and Henry.

“Naming expert” (yes, that’s a thing apparently)  Christian Turner tells Vogue that most royal names are taken from past monarchs, saying, “Sometimes royal names skip generations, sometimes they take a diagonal line of succession, and sometimes they are reworked to be more British or more contemporary.”

He says nonetheless, most names are derived from the stable of past royal names.

“Britishness, heritage and tradition” are all qualities that royal parents take into consideration when naming their child, while, according to Turner, “The second and third names should similarly show weight and heritage, but this can be less so.” For example, says Turner:

A middle name can be taken from regal names of other cultures, or could be a nod to a further-flung relative, such as the uncle of the non-royal parent (as long as said uncle wasn’t called, say, Moon Unit).

It won’t be surprising, however, if Kate and Will give their child a less traditional name, since the George and Charlotte’s sibling will be fifth in line to the throne, thus, the “seriousness” of the name is not necessary.

According to the Daily Star, some of the more trendy names believed to be favorites of the palace are Grace, Maria, and Alexander.

Trump To Netanyahu: No Exports Of Medical Marijuana

Mary Schumacher
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Trump To Netanyahu: No Exports Of Medical Marijuana

In a turn of events that are leaving Israeli cannabis cultivators at a loss, US President Donald Trump told the Prime Minister of Israel that he’d prefer it if the Israeli state curbed its planned marijuana export industry, as reported Wednesday evening. As Israel made solid plans to export the plant back in August of last year, investors are now scrambling to make sense of what’s gone down.

Israel has a long, positive history with the marijuana plant and much of their scientific and medical research put forth is at the cutting edge of the industry. With such a rich history with cannabis, it is surprising that Netanyahu would give in so easily.

And though we knew that the current US administration was far from cool with pot, having rescinded Obama-era policy that protected compliant users, manufacturers and purveyors from prosecution. However, it was Jeff Sessions who was the voice of said cannabis bashing. Now, Trump himself is putting his two-cents in and it doesn’t look bright.

The report went on, stating that a savvy Finance Ministry representative offered the idea that the problem could be avoided by not exporting to the US, however, Netanyahu countered, saying it may not be in Israel’s best interest to go against the Trump administration’s policy.

This is an enormous let down for investors, cultivators and activists alike. Millions of dollars have already been spent in anticipation of exporting cannabis. Some growers have threatened in protest to just sell the cannabis on the black market, and they may literally not have a choice. With Trump in office for the next couple years at least, it’s going to be some time before the issue is likely to be addressed anew.

Ministry representatives weren’t even granted the time to make counter arguments. Despite their projected annual intake of a billion dollars, Netanyahu made it clear that Trump had made his own position clear and that they were not moving forward.

It’s an afraid new world and Trump is spearheading that fear mongering and tossing it wherever he spots a landing space for his and his administration’s rhetoric. Now more than ever do activists around the world need to make their voices heard on the pot topic. And, the US needs to stop being the world’s bully and open its eyes to the compassion and entrepreneurship that can drive budding economies.

Heartbroken On Valentine’s Day? These Marijuana Strains Will Help

Terry Hacienda
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Heartbroken On Valentine’s Day? These Marijuana Strains Will Help

Valentine’s Day can be a real bummer for those who recently have been dumped or are simply tired of being single. Watching a colleague or friend receive chocolates or flowers or jewelry can be torturous for the lonely hearts out there.

More people are single today than ever before, the 2014 census bureau report shows. Roughly 50 percent of all Americans are single compared to just 37 percent in 1976. Couple that with data scraped from Facebook statuses of “break up” and “broken up” shows that Valentine’s day is the third largest day for breakups.

If you are one of the 150 million single Americans or are working through love loss February 14, one cannabis cultivator — Los Angeles-based THC Design —has curated a few of types of marijuana to make you feel less lonely.

Got Dumped? Dumped Someone?

  • Triangle Kush is a smooth night-time variety named as a tribute to the three marijuana capitals of Florida – Tampa, Jacksonville, and Miami. An uplifting euphoric feeling washes over you in warming waves, leaving you floating on air – far away from stalking that ex.

  • Dosidos has a minty cookie flavor and fast and hard cerebral rush; euphoric energy will swing you back onto Tinder with a vengeance. This hybrid then fades into a happy introspection, eventually leading to a classic body buzz, so remember the good times and cry if you want to.

  • XJ-13 balances high levels of THC with low levels of CBD. It will clear your head and relax those fingers, staving off regretful texts. Binge on Netflix instead. Netflix always knows what you want.

Single On Valentine’s Day

  • Blueberry Dome has high levels of THC to provide intense relief with amazing flavors, mixing fresh nutty mint with ripe blueberries for a confusingly delicious taste that will dance across your tongue. Pair it with a pint of Ben and Jerry’s and revel in the fact you don’t have to share either.

  • Kosher Kush transcends your body into a state of serenity, draining your mind of all worries. Staying in is the new going out. Light that new candle for a romantic night for one.

  • Future Berries screams “treat yourself.” Live your best life with the best company – yourself! What begins as a moment of clear-headed relaxation soon leads to total bodily bliss. Pairs well with spa day massages, facials, and that strange mud bath your friends said you just have to try.

Gossip: Meghan Markle & Prince Harry Will Be Working Together For V-Day; Kris Jenner Shared Her Top Tip For New Mother Kylie Jenner

Naughty Gossip
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Gossip: Meghan Markle & Prince Harry Will Be Working Together For V-Day; Kris Jenner Shared Her Top Tip For New Mother Kylie Jenner

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are going to be feeling the love in Scotland! The royal couple is heading to Scotland on the eve of Valentine’s Day, Kensington Palace announced Tuesday.

Harry and Meghan, who are set to tie the knot on May 19, are continuing their string of official royal engagements with a trip to Edinburgh on February 13. Their visit will include a stop at the historic Edinburgh Castle, a visit to a youth cafe run by Social Bite (an organization that tackles homelessness — a cause close to Harry’s heart) and a reception celebrating youth achievement to mark Scottish Year of Young People at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Whether they end up spending February 14th in Edinburgh, which is about 400 miles north of London, or they return to Nottingham Cottage after their visit, Harry can expect a special Valentine’s Day from his bride-to-be. Meghan previously revealed her affinity for the holiday on her former lifestyle site, The Tig.

“Hook, line and sinker, I am such a sucker for Valentine’s Day,” she wrote. “Without fail, every February 14th, I wake up feeling like I’m immersed in a Robert Doisneau photo, waiting with bated breath to be dipped into a kiss. This is all happening in black and white, of course. And in Paris, if I had my way. But delusions of francophile grandeur aside, Valentine’s Day is special wherever you happen to find yourself. And in terms of gifts, be it breakfast in bed, a sweet love note, or a single flower, it really is the thought that counts.”

Kris Jenner Shared Her Top Tip for New Mother Kylie Jenner

Kris on Monday to share her top tip for Kylie’s new motherhood, perhaps hoping to hear some secret baby-soothing technique. But her advice was much bigger than that.

“Enjoy every second,” she said she tells her daughter. “I think she’s excited.”

She also added, that the cameras are rolling for Season 15 of “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” but she didn’t share whether that includes footage of Kylie’s pregnancy or birth. She also wouldn’t give up any intel about the newborn’s name, which social media thinks might have something to do with butterflies. Audio snippets of the birth appear at the end of Kylie and beau Travis Scott’s 11-plus minute video “To Our Daughter” that was posted on February 4, so it was likely all recorded in some fashion.

Will Babygirl Jenner-Scott (and her new cousin Chicago West) appear on KUWTK? Stay tuned.

Love the fresh dirt we bring over daily from Naughty Gossip? Let us know in the comments!

Veterans Want Medical Marijuana To Save Them From Opioids

Mike Adams
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Veterans Want Medical Marijuana To Save Them From Opioids

Although the latest federal data shows opioids killed more people in 2016 than the almost two-decade-long Vietnam War, the Department of Veterans Affairs continues to dole out prescription painkillers with enthusiasm. These drugs are given to soldiers suffering from moderate to severe pain. Many are now addicted to these pills. Some veterans are saying that they experienced better and safer results from the use of medical marijuana. They would like the federal government to legalize the cannabis plant in an effort to reduce the risk of addiction and deadly overdose.

Medical marijuana is now legal in 29 states and the District of Columbia. Yet, because the Drug Enforcement Administration still considers it a Schedule I dangerous drug under the Controlled Substances Act, VA Clinics have not been permitted to discuss or provide marijuana recommendations for their patients.

But last December, the US Department of Veterans Affairs issued new guidelines on the medical marijuana issue, giving VA physicians permission to “discuss” cannabis treatment with their patients. Yet these health care professionals “are prohibited from completing forms or registering veterans for participation in a state-approved marijuana program.”

Even VA Secretary David Shulkin admits that medical marijuana might be able to help veterans. Still, there are no plans to change the current policy on this matter until the federal government chimes in. That’s not happening anytime soon.

Congress has been dragging its feet on the marijuana debate for years. Even while President Obama was running the show with a “hands off” approach to legal weed, federal lawmakers still refused to discuss it. Now the Trump administration is in control. And along with that comes US Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a man who does not believe good people smoke marijuana.

Earlier this week, while speaking at a Heritage Foundation event, Session told those in attendance that he believes the bulk of the opioid crisis was brought on by marijuana. “The [Drug Enforcement Administration] said a huge percentage of the heroin addictions start with prescriptions. That may be an exaggerated number – they had it as high as 80 percent – we think a lot of this is starting with marijuana or other drugs, too,” he said.

A handful of studies from the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence to the American Journal of Public Health discount this claim. But the attorney general, who has fought against marijuana since his days in the Senate, never seems to miss an opportunity to speak out against weed.

Unfortunately, there is some concern that Sessions’ anti-marijuana stance (along with his threats of a federal crackdown) may discourage doctors employed at the VA to discuss medical marijuana with patients. Many of these health care professionals are already refusing to talk about marijuana, in spite of the new VA directive. This is due, in part, to the lingering social stigmas associated with the cannabis plant. It’s still not medicine, some might say.

Army veterans Ryan Miller, who was wounded in Iraq, told CNBC that the faster the federal government legalizes medical marijuana, the more veterans it will save. Miller, who lost his leg after a combat injury, is optimistic about this reform happening soon. He says it’s just a matter of time.

“We all know it’s going to happen; it’s just when,” Miller said. “If this happens in a year, there will be people that will probably be alive in a couple years as opposed to dead.”

This Protein Powder Includes CBD To Give Fitness Buffs A Boost

Terry Hacienda
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This Protein Powder Includes CBD To Give Fitness Buffs A Boost

For many gym rats, or just a weekend warrior looking for a boost, protein powder is part of the nutritional regimen. But a Denver-based supplement company has come up with a fresh idea: Adding cannabidiol (CBD) to the product.

WillPower Products announced this week the launch of its crowdfunding campaign for the world’s first line of industrial hemp dietary supplement protein powders for performance and wellness, ReGen PCR.

According to the company’s website, ReGen is a protein powder dietary supplement that delivers the most advanced, highest quality industrial hemp oil containing the full entourage of naturally occurring phytocannabinoids, including cannabidiol, sourced domestically in Colorado. ReGen provides 20g grass fed whey, 20mg cannabinoids, and 6grams of BCAAs.

“With the rise in popularity in CBD products, we have reached an important milestone in the sports and fitness health industry by introducing the first phytocannabinoid industrial hemp oil infused protein powder to market,” said Will Carr, founder of WillPower Products. “We are dedicated and committed to bringing the highest quality industrial hemp sports and fitness dietary supplements to market.”

After being denied acceptance to crowdfund on Kickstarter, WillPower Products has now launched a private crowdfunding campaign exclusively to consumers online. First backed users will get an exclusive look into WillPower’s ReGen PCR by receiving a jug (NET WT. 480G/1.06LBS) in either Cinnamon Cocoa or Vanilla flavor with a $65.00 donation. Users contributing $120.00 will receive two jugs of ReGen PCR, one of each flavor. Top donors ($135 or more) to the crowdfunding campaign will not only receive ReGen PCR product, but also a custom branded WillPower Shaker for on-the-go fitness enthusiasts.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a chemical compound found in both psychoactive cannabis and industrial hemp. Our bodies have an endocannabinoid system (ECS), which produces cannabinoids naturally in our system. Externally taking cannabinoids work by imitating these compounds our bodies naturally produce and can aid in keeping our ECS in balance. When CBD or hemp oil is consumed, cannabinoids bind to receptors located throughout the body. Depending on the type of product consumed, different types of benefits are possible.

The CBD in ReGen is derived from industrialized hemp-oil, not to be mistaken for CBD cannabis products. There are 80 identified phytocannabinoids found in industrial hemp, cannabidiol (CBD), is the most widely recognized and known. CBD is non-psychoactive and most effective as a dietary supplement for health and wellness when left in its natural state. This hemp oil is THC-free, it has been tested to contain zero traces of THC.

“After being introduced to phytocannabinoid rich (PCR) hemp oil and CBD and experiencing the raw benefits first hand, it clicked,” Carr said. “Why not create a sports nutrition dietary supplement line that combined the most natural ingredients, such as grass-fed whey, with CBD?”

“Even today as I live a very active lifestyle, hiking, skiing, skydiving, being a father to my beautiful little girl, having a product that allows me to live a healthier, active life is such a blessing,” Carr added. “My life has been built around health and fitness, and I don’t plan for that to ever end.”

Cachexia: Can Cannabis Help With This Wasting Illness?

Richard Faulk
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Cachexia: Can Cannabis Help With This Wasting Illness?

Cachexia is a metabolic disorder that’s currently affecting some nine million people across the planet. The good news for them is that cachexia will likely be the last disease they’ll ever have. The bad news is that’s because cachexia is likely to kill them, if a pre-existing condition doesn’t do it first.

Cachexia—pronounced with a hard ch, like k-h—is Greek for a “bad way of living” (which seems kind of judgy to us). It was known to the father of medicine himself, Hippocrates, but it wasn’t well defined until the twentieth century—although now that definition is a subject of debate. There’s even some disagreement whether cachexia is merely a complication of other diseases of wether it has its own underlying cause and, potentially, cure. Studies suggest that inflammation might be the common link.

What is clear, however, is that cachexia appears in the late stage of “almost every major chronic illness,” including heart, lung, and kidney disease and cancer. Its symptom is extreme loss of weight, particularly muscle, that often times no amount of eating can reverse.

The standard treatment for cachexia is to prescribe one of several corticosteroids or megestrol, which is, essentially, a milder steroid. There is conclusive evidence that they can improve weight gain and quality of life. But they also come with a host of serious side effects, including ulcer, muscle weakness, elevated blood sugar, and infection. Most physicians see this as an acceptable tradeoff, because cachexia patients tend to die before the side effects have a chance to kick in.

Loss of appetite? Inflammation? Drugs with dire side effects? This sound like a case for medical marijuana!

Except the near-universal medical response is: No, not really.

An article in The Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia, and Muscle that asks the questions “Are We Closer to Having Drugs to Treat Muscle Wasting Disease?” concludes: “While cannabinoids may be excellent drugs for hospice care, it is unlikely that they will prove to be useful.” Another article in that journal is more blunt: “There is a paucity of evidence to support the use of cannabis in any form to enhance weight gain in cancer patients.” This opinion is seconded by the journal Oncology: For the treatment of cancer cachexia, cannabis “demonstrated little or no benefit.”

The appetite stimulation that cannabis offers may not be enough to counteract cachexia, but that doesn’t mean that weed is valueless to people confronting terminal illness. It induces relaxation, even euphoria—which is, of course, why people use cannabis recreationally—and it can moderate pain as well. In short, “the data suggest that it may be an excellent drug for palliative care patients.”

Illnesses like cachexia underscore that fact that we cannot escape our mortality (whatever Peter Thiel might say). When death is imminent, “treatment” can seem absurd. But a little bit of comfort is always welcome.

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