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Nashville Law Enforcement Agencies Have No Clue What CBD Is

Terry Hacienda
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Nashville Law Enforcement Agencies Have No Clue What CBD Is

It’s yet another episode of the “Can Our Law Enforcement Officials Be Even More Ignorant About Cannabis?” show. This one takes place in Tennessee and it plays out like Keystone Cops.

In a months-long joint investigation involving officials from federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, “Operation Candy Crush” — yes, this is absolutely true — shut down  nearly two dozen stores for allegedly selling illegal marijuana products that look like candy. 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.

Just look at the roster of agencies involved in Operation Candy Crush (and then ask yourself how much this cost the taxpayers):

  • U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency
  • Federal Bureau of Investigation
  • Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
  • Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office
  • Murfreesboro Police Department
  • Smyrna Police Department
  • La Vergne Police Departments

This collection of not-too-educated law enforcement officials found an equally challenged judge — Circuit Court Judge Royce Taylor — and received permission to confiscate all CBD products from the store. And then ordered them padlocked until further notice.

The raid of the non-psychoactive products forced the shut down of 23 stores across the county and 21 peopled were indicted for selling illegal products.

“We’d like to inform the parents to be aware of what your children are bringing home with them,” Rutherford County Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh said in a news conference outside one of the shuttered businesses. “It’s an illegal drug. It’s a CBD product. It’s a derivative of marijuana, and it is an illegal drug except in medical situations.”

Smyrna Police Chief Kevin Arnold did his best Barney Fife impression when addressing the throng of media. “This [CBD gummy bears] isn’t’ healthy at all,” Arnold said, ignoring the fact that CBD, in fact, is healthy and is used to treat a wide variety of ailments.

But Arnold didn’t stop there. When asked during the press conference what the purpose of the product is, Arnold blurted out without skipping a beat, “It’s used to get high.” When the reporter corrected the police chief and calmly explained that it is not purchased to get high, Arnold doubled down on his ignorance. “Then why are they buying it?” he asked.

Um. People are buying it not because it gets them high. They’re buying it because it has medicinal value. You would think that a quick Google search would have aided this seven-agency task force. Nope. According to Arnold, “We have been on this radar for several months.”

So, nobody from the two federal agencies, one state agency, one county agency and three local agencies bothered to check what CBD is?

But, believe it or not, it keeps getting worse. Arnold was informed during the press conference that CBD products are sold at Wal-Marts. When asked if he will go after the retail giant, Arnold said, “If they [consumers] can get it at Wal-Mart, that’s where we’ll go.” Arnold was asked if the police department would be padlocking the doors of Wal-Mart. “If the judge approves it,” he said.

The raid cost 23 small, local store owners their ability to keep their businesses open. Meanwhile, the largest retailer in the country stays open and sells products with the same ingredients.

Arnold, Smyrna’s top cop, stated the obvious at one point: “This is not some obscure product. … They [store owners] know it’s there and what the purpose for it is.”

Yes, Chief, the store owners know what the purpose for it is. Sadly, you have no clue.

Terminally Ill Patients Might Soon Be Able To Access Marijuana In Utah

Amy Hansen
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Terminally Ill Patients Might Soon Be Able To Access Marijuana In Utah

Two bills that would allow terminally ill patients access to medical marijuana grown and distributed by the sate of Utah has passed the House.

House Bills 195 (which allows doctors to recommend medical marijuana for the terminally ill) and 197 (which puts the grow op in the hands of the state Department of Agriculture and Food) are both sponsored by Rep. Brad Daw (R) and approved by the House Health and Human Services Committee.

After dying on a narrow vote last week, House Bill 197 was resurrected on Tuesday.

Said Daw, “This bill becomes the way to supply a genuine cannabis medicine for both those programs. We need to pass this bill if we want to have patients the ability to try both under right to try and under research.”
Rep. Derrin Owens (R) says he is still concerned: “We expect to follow the order of law and with passage of this, we would be in noncompliance with federal law.”

Others, like House Minority Leader Brian King, (D), announced he was flipping his vote in support of  a ballot initiative that would greatly expand who can use medical marijuana in Utah. Supporters are trying to gather enough signatures to get it on the November ballot.

“I’m suspicious and concerned that what this bill really is is an attempt to undermine the ability of the people of the state of Utah to weigh in on this in the form of a ballot initiative,” said Owens.

HB 197 passed 38-32 and now goes to the Senate.

Couple’s Marijuana Wedding Included $8K Of Marijuana

Brendan Bures
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Couple’s Marijuana Wedding Included $8K Of Marijuana

While marijuana-themed weddings have become an ongoing trend in the past couple of years, with cannabis companies sprouting up to serve that specific wedding market, those people have nothing on this couple. Call them the OGs of the marijuana wedding craze.

Dani Green and Zak Walton both use cannabis instead of prescription painkillers to help significant medical ailments. Dani has been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, Cushing syndrome, and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, while a shattered herniated disk gives Zak serious nerve pain. The two met about 12 years ago, quickly becoming smoking buddies, and felt they should honor how influential marijuana has been in their lives.

When they announced plans to throw a marijuana wedding, their families were aghast. “She can’t do this,” was Dani’s mother’s initial response. But Dani explained to her mom that it would be tasteful and not at all what she expected.

Via Forbes:

Dani and the bridesmaids carried bouquets studded with cannabis buds and flowers; Zak and the groomsmen wore boutonnieres starring cannabis leaves and buds. All of the special foliage came from Harborside’s farms. At the end of the ceremony, rather than reciting personalized vows or smashing a glass, “we sealed it with a dab,” Dani said. Then, to get the party started, everyone lit up a joint on a beach.

That doesn’t begin to cover the rest of the evening, a reception for 70 guests held at a private event venue in Monterey. The 200-square-foot outdoor dab bar was stocked with 50 grams of hash, the 20-square-foot vaping area snuggled under a tall tree studded with twinkling lights, and the edibles bar featured six kinds of goodies. Of course, the vibe was more Ella Fitzgerald than Phish concert: Guests enjoyed a farm-to-table meal, including steak and salmon grilled while they watched, as well as a gluten-free, organic wedding cake.

Beer, wine, and champagne were also made available to guests uncomfortable with partaking in the cannabis consumption. When toasts were made, guests could choose between the two for cheers-ing.

“The secret is that cannabis is probably a part of most American weddings whether or not the whole family knows it or not,” celebrity activist Steven D’Angelo, whom Dani works for, said to Forbes. “It’s consumed discreetly and in private. Now it’s coming out of those shadows into the public realm.”

All the cannabis was donated, with a retail value of over $8,000. Dani’s mom later said it was “the classiest wedding I’ve ever been to,” while the bride said her vision came true and people now ask her to plan their cannabis weddings.

Even Meghan Markle’s Handbag Is Breaking With Royal Tradition

Maria Loreto
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Even Meghan Markle’s Handbag Is Breaking With Royal Tradition

While clutch purses have become a sort of staple for the royal ladies, Meghan Markle stepped out in Edinburgh, Scotland with a cross-body bag that allowed her to interact and greet people, and even pet a pony.

Prince Harry and Markle were visiting Scotland as a part of her obtaining a larger introduction to the United Kingdom. The pair was greeted by tons of people, including a pony named Cruachan IV, who tried to bite Prince Harry.

Markle’s cross-body bag is from Strathberry, a local Scottish brand, and is known as the East/West bag in a deep forest green shade. According to Travel and Leisure, it’s already sold out. Who’s surprised?

You can find other shades of the same bag on their site for $660. Not that expensive for a royal accessory.

Are You Thinking Of Giving Up Cannabis For Lent? Read This First

Terry Hacienda
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Are You Thinking Of Giving Up Cannabis For Lent? Read This First

Almost everyone loves to party it up for Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, Carnival or whatever you choose to call the bacchanal celebrated every year at this time. But what about Lent? That solemn season that begins Ash Wednesday and lasts about six weeks?

For many Christians who observe Lent, it’s the time of year when they give up alcohol or cigarettes or chocolate as a way to replicate Jesus’ sacrifice described in the Bible. What about marijuana? Will you forgo the herb for Lent? And what is the Catholic Church’s position on marijuana anyway?

Well, it depends. But for the most part, the Catholic Church frowns on the God-made herb. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “The use of drugs inflicts very grave damage on health and life. Their use, except on strictly therapeutic grounds, is a grave offense.”

And according to Father Gerald Coleman, an adjunct professor of ethics at Santa Clara University and a lecturer on bioethics:

The Catholic moral tradition teaches that for human persons to flourish, we must use our reason to decide what is for our well-being. If any activity undermines or degrades our rational capacities, we have moral reasons to avoid that activity. The THC level in recreational marijuana often induces hallucinations and delusions, diminishes the use of one’s full reasoning abilities.

Pope Francis, considered a progressive in many worldly issues, also strongly opposes cannabis.  In 2014, he said, “the scourge of drug use continues to spread inexorably, fed by a deplorable commerce which transcends national and continental borders.”

It should be noted that it used to be a sin for Catholics to drink coffee until Pope Clement VIII gave his blessing to the caffeinated beverage in the early 1600s. Pope Clement VIII was urged to denounce coffee by his counselors who believed the beverage was a “bitter invention of Satan” because of its popularity among Muslims. However, after sipping the hot brown beverage, Pope Clement VIII declared, “This Satan’s drink is so delicious that it would be a pity to let the infidels have exclusive use of it.”

Clement allegedly blessed the coffee bean because it appeared better for the people than alcoholic beverages. Maybe Pope Francis will do something similar. But in the meantime, let your conscience be your guide. 

Gossip: Calvin Klein Begs Kim Kardashian To Put On Some Underwear; Ryan Murphy Signs With Netflix In Record-Breaking $300 Million Deal

Naughty Gossip
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Gossip: Calvin Klein Begs Kim Kardashian To Put On Some Underwear; Ryan Murphy Signs With Netflix In Record-Breaking $300 Million Deal

After signing a massive new endorsement deal with the Kardashian family, Calvin Klein is begging Kim to put on some clothes.

“Kim and her family were paid a fortune to be spokesmodels for Calvin Klein underwear. She and her family are plastered on posters and advertisements everywhere in their Calvin Klein panties. So you can imagine how upset the company was now that Kim has been posting so many nude images of herself. They are begging her to put on some Calvin Klein underwear,” sources tell Straight Shuter. “Why would anyone spend money on knickers when their spokesperson would rather go naked?”

Ryan Murphy Signs With Netflix In Record-Breaking $300 Million Deal

Producer/Director Ryan Murphy has signed a deal with Netflix for what is said to be a record-breaking $300 million. The deal starts July 1.

Said Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer at Netflix, in a statement: “Ryan Murphy’s series have influenced the global cultural zeitgeist, reinvented genres and changed the course of television history. His unfaltering dedication to excellence and to give voice to the underrepresented, to showcase a unique perspective or just to shock the hell out of us, permeates his genre-shattering work. From “Nip/Tuck” – our first licensed series – to “American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson” and “American Horror Story,” we’ve seen how his brand of storytelling captivates consumers and critics across the globe. His celebrated body of work and his contributions to our industry speak for themselves, and we look forward to supporting Ryan in bringing his broad and diverse stories to the world.”

Chelsea Handler Is Getting Into The Marijuana Business

Terry Hacienda
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Chelsea Handler Is Getting Into The Marijuana Business

Chelsea Handler has done it all in the entertainment business: comedian, actress, writer, television host, producer. Now, the multi-talented Californian is entering the cannabis industry.

Handler announced earlier this week that she will be creating her own line of marijuana. “I want everyone to know that I’m going to a weed farm today. Yep. I’m gonna go pick a grow,” Handler told her 3.3 million Instagram followers. “It’s called a grow for those of you who are not in the know.”

It appears Handler will be launching a brand designed to capture the “cannabis curious” segment of the marijuana market, which most industry experts say will be the fastest-growing sector.

The left-leaning feminist entertainer said cannabis is the “only fucking thing that’s kept me sane since Trump was elected.”

“I’m going to come out with my own line of weed, I decided. I want people to understand that you don’t have to get blottoed, you can just get a little, nice buzz to take the edge off.”

Of course, Handler is not the first celebrity to find a way into the marijuana business. Just last year, former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson announced his intention to start a marijuana farm in California. Scores of celebrities from Melissa Etheridge to Whoopi Goldberg to Willie Nelson have also invested in the nascent industry.

Handler is famous for being an open book and revealing her personal life. She has told fans she smoked her first joint when she was 16. Handler has even shared the herb with Nelson. Handler has been a vocal supporter of marijuana law reform.

Here is Handler’s Instagram announcement:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfJdNX1HYbE/?taken-by=chelseahandler

Here is a video of Handler enjoying a multi-course meal prepared with cannabis:

Here is Handler sharing the herb with Snoop Dogg:

Maine Businesses Can’t Discriminate Against Employees For Using Marijuana

Brendan Bures
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Maine Businesses Can’t Discriminate Against Employees For Using Marijuana

Cannabis users in Maine no longer have to worry about their consumption habits during their off hours. Employees can no longer be discriminated against by employers for cannabis usage, including other marijuana-infused products, according to new state laws that recently went into effect.

In addition, the Maine Department of Labor has removed marijuana from the list of drugs employers can test for in its “model” applicant drug-testing policy, according to employment law firm Littler Mendleson PC.

The law only applies to those 21 years of age or older, and denies employers the right to hire someone based on their marijuana usage or even disciplining them for using. However, it should be noted that this right does not extend to those under the influence at work. Those who show up to work high can still receive discipline, though a positive test won’t be enough proof that someone is or was under the influence, a spokesperson told The Independent.

Maine is one of nine states to legalize recreational marijuana usage. However, Maine governor Paul LePage vetoed a bill to regulate and tax marijuana, leading to a legislative compromise that delays any retail market coming to fruition within the state.

LePage explained that, “Until I clearly understand how the federal government intends to treat states that seek to legalize marijuana, I cannot in good conscience support any scheme in state law to implement expansion of legal marijuana in Maine.”

Who’ll Be Invited To Prince Harry And Meghan Markle’s Wedding?

Maria Loreto
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Who’ll Be Invited To Prince Harry And Meghan Markle’s Wedding?

One of the most debated subjects right now is who’ll make the guest list to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding, with half-siblings and all sorts of people popping up from every corner claiming that they expect an invitation.

Luckily, or unluckily, the couple’s wedding venue can only hold 800 people, a much smaller amount than Prince Charles’ wedding, which housed over 3,500 guests, and Prince William’s ceremony that accommodated 1,900.

With a guest list of 800 people, only the closest family members, friends, and the most important world representatives with significant ties to the royal family are expected to be invited.

While some speculate that Prince Harry will have to invite the Obamas or President Trump, they may not make the cut due to the large amount of British military members and charity workers that’ll surely be invited to the wedding. When it comes to Meghan Markle, sources claim that her guests may surprise the audience. There are rumors that she’ll invite Serena Williams, Suits co-star Patrick J. Adams, and personal stylist Jessica Mulroney.

According to CBC, guests of the wedding may be announced when the event is underway. So we’ll just have to keep on guessing.

Apple Is Finally Changing How They Make Their Software

Maria Loreto
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Apple Is Finally Changing How They Make Their Software

It only took a decade and a couple of scandals for Apple to switch things up and do something they haven’t done before.

While Apple has received tons of criticism lately, experts believe this isn’t due to poor devices and software that’s filled with bugs. Experts claim that this vocal outrage is due to the amount of Apple users because one bug in the software is experienced by millions of people. So if you’ve been considering leaving Apple, you should think things through.

According to Business Insider, the next version of the iOS will be a departure from what Apple usually does with their software updates. Instead of redesigning the home screen, a feat the company does pretty often and that serves no particular purpose, Apple will focus on making their software more stable, reliable, and faster.

Previously, Apple launched a new software with a new device, including fancy additions used to market the phone and to lure new customers in. By switching things up, Apple is tending to the majority of their users. Yes, having the ability to put a hat on your Animoji may be amazing, but the majority of users would rather have a reliable phone that doesn’t crash, and whose battery lasts for longer periods of time.

As Bloomberg reports, this change demonstrates that Apple finally understands its product. The iPhone is no longer new, it’s been around for a decade, and it doesn’t need to change every year. It just needs to work efficiently and perform better than other phones on the market.

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