Generous thespians share things such as how to get into character, how to play a scene and how to get along with a difficult director. Legendary Oscar-winning thespians, apparently, share how to properly consume cannabis.
In a piece in The New Yorker, Helen Mirren — not only an Academy Award-winning actress but also a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire — and Donald Sutherland — not only a recipient of a lifetime-achievement Oscar but also an Officer of the Order of Canada — were discussing sleeping problems.
Mirren told Sutherland that she sleeps seven hours a night. The actor, whose acting career began in 1962, spoke of his inability to sleep soundly through the night. Mirren, whose career dates back to 1967, gave Sutherland this sage advice:
“Marijuana, darling,” she advised. “That would help.”
Sutherland, of course, is not alone. Roughly 40 million Americans suffer from some sort of sleep issue. Studies have repeatedly shown that cannabis can improve the duration and quality of sleep. A 1973 study suggests that THC reduces the amount of time it takes those with insomnia to fall asleep. Another study found that those that regularly used THC fell asleep faster.
The science of why cannabis promotes sleep is not entirely clear, but some research suggests that the terpenes in cannabis are doing the work. Terpenes are the aromatic compounds in marijuana and they interact with your body in favorable ways.
The terpenes found in lavender and chamomile both promote sleep. Working in combination with cannabis, a soak in a lavender-infused bath or a cup of chamomile tea before bed may work. Aromatherapy is another option.
The two actors have been making the rounds of a publicity tour promoting their movie “The Leisure Seeker.” Sutherland, or at least a character played by him, knows a thing or two about marijuana. Who could forget his classic scene in “Animal House,” where Sutherland’s character, Prof. Dave Jennings, shares a joint with three students?
One of my fondest memories of playing tourist in New York was the day I enjoyed some cannabis and took a stroll through Central Park on a perfect spring afternoon. Right when the herb took peak effect, I was asked to play in a pick-up game of ultimate Frisbee with a bunch of strangers. I’ll never forget that day.
Frisbee — whether it’s Ultimate Frisbee or Frisbee Golf or just tossing the disc around with your friends — and marijuana seem to go together. Of course, not every cannabis enthusiast owns a Frisbee and not every disc lover smokes marijuana. Although this Iowa law enforcement officer in this video may think differently.
Here are five ways cannabis enthusiasts can find enjoyment (or utility) from the ubiquitous plastic disc:
Frisbee Golf
This sport — and it most certainly is a sport if you consider standard golf a sport — has been around for decades. But more and more communities are dedicating open spaces to create disc golf courses.
When I play traditional golf (you know, with clubs and small, dimpled white orbs), there often is a beverage cart on the course selling 16-ounce cold beers. And I often smell the scent of cigars. Frisbee golfers, on the other hand, are more likely to forgo the booze and stogies and enjoy their marijuana.
Ulitmate Frisbee
While Frisbee golf is more of a walking-talking experience, Ultimate Frisbee is the opposite. Ultimate Frisbee, which now is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and may become an official Olympic event in 2024, is a non-contact sport that combines athletic soccer with football. It is a non-stop activity that really gets your heart pumping and requires better-than-average stamina.
A few months ago, competitive Ultimate Frisbee player Bill Nye (The Science Guy) was interviewed and mentioned that some of his teammates played under the influence of the herb. He said he preferred that his teammates refrained from the reefer. He’s not an opponent of legalized marijuana, but he said “those guys, they sucked when they were high.”
Nye may have a point. And yet he could be wrong. Many colleges have Ultimate teams. If you scan the rankings of best teams, you will find universities that also score high in the cannabis-friendly rankings: University of Wisconsin, UC Santa Barbara, Skidmore, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, the list goes on and on.
Tossing The Disc Around
There is something just so right about a perfect spring or summer day at a park or beach and tossing the Frisbee around. Whether it’s two people or 1o, it is an activity that is more fun after consuming a little cannabis.
You don’t have to be athletic or coordinated, you just have to be upright. From San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park to New York’s Central Park, from Cape Cod to Malibu and nearly every park and beach in between, you will find a few happy people tossing the plastic disc around. And chances are, a good percentage of them are enjoying it while under the influence of a little herb.
Perfect Tool For Rolling A Joint
Humans have been tossing disc-shaped objects since the cavemen. It’s not something new. The modern-day discs, legend has it, were inspired by cake tins from a Southern California bakery back in the 1930s. By 1957, Wham-O began mass producing and marketing the plastic toy.
Within a few years, marijuana consumers found a new use for the Frisbee. The unique concave edge was a perfect design to assist in rolling joints. The Frisbee can be placed on your lap or table and will keep the bud in one place while you roll.
Residents of Uruguay can go to the pharmacy for their cannabis, attend a social club or participate in home cultivation.
When Uruguay legalized cannabis nationwide in July of last year, they were the first country to do so, setting up for a serious social experiment in South America where the War on Drugs has been raging since the 1970s.
Though it’s been less than a year, that social experiment is winning. In fact, it seems the only complaints about the law is that it’s not liberal enough. For one thing, the law only applies to residents of Uruguay, not to tourists, who possess and grow cannabis.
Since legalization, drug-related crime has dropped 20 percent. Residents can go to the pharmacy for their cannabis, attend a social club or participate in home cultivation.
In 2011, a 66-year-old author named Alicia Castilla was arrested and tried for growing marijuana at her home. Despite a history of pro-cannabis activism in Uruguay, Castilla’s trial was the catapult that sent legalization over the edge. Amidst mass protests of the thought leader’s arrest, laws were first formed to permit home cultivation.
South America’s war against drugs has been absurd, with catastrophic results no matter what indicators you consider, including consumption. If Uruguay’s experience turns out positive, it will be easier for other countries such as Colombia or Mexico, mired in huge problems with powerful narcos, to find a better solution than the disastrous one implemented so far.
And their new model has been a success. From the drop in crime to the release of Castilla, back to her home where she is now legally allowed to grow and process the plant, things are looking up for this small South American country.
Did we mention public consumption also made the law? Residents believe that being able to imbibe outside one’s house makes for a safer environment for everyone, and so far they’re right. It may have taken arresting “the reefer grandmother,” as Castilla was dubbed in prison, but Uruguay is leagues ahead of the rest of the world, where cannabis becomes less controversial, in the majority of eyes, each and every day.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are getting ready to send out 600 invitations to their upcoming wedding in May, but one royal family member will not be receiving one.
The Sunreveals that Prince Harry has not invited Sarah Ferguson, his aunt, to the wedding.
The Duchess of York is reportedly devastated that she won’t get to attend the wedding, which both her ex-husband, Prince Andrew, and daughters Eugenie and Beatrice will be attending. She’ll have to wait until later this year, at Eugenie’s wedding, to be reunited with the royal family.
A royal insider told The Sun that Harry doesn’t trust Fergie to “keep her mouth shut and respect their privacy.”
Fergie has been told to keep a low profile before Eugene’s wedding and not to go on talk shows or give interviews about the royal family. She’s not happy about it.
The source continues, “Eugenie’s wedding is going to be a nightmare because so many of the family can’t stand the Duchess. It’s very uncomfortable. She is still lobbying for an invite but Harry remains adamant he doesn’t want her there.”
Georgia lawmakers have been working for years to bring a comprehensive medical marijuana program to the state, but there has been much resistance to the concept. Lawmakers and their enforcement counterparts claim they are not ready for that sort of change, but they may have to grow up fast.
Legislation was recently introduced that would legalize marijuana for recreational use—allowing weed to be sold in a manner similar to beer—throughout the state.
Earlier this week, Senator Curt Thompson submitted a proposal aimed at digging marijuana out of the ditch of prohibitionary times. The bill, which will have to survive the Republican-controlled chambers to have a fighting chance, would give way to taxed and regulated system like Colorado. Basically, adults 21 and older would have the freedom to buy cannabis and cannabis products the same as they do with alcohol.
The bill has half a dozen cosponsors already.
While a long shot, Thompson believes, “The historical trends and the political trends nationally, and even here in Georgia, are on our side,” according to local reports. The Democrat realizes the measure will likely be buried out behind the State Capitol, but he wants Georgia’s marijuana conversation in 2018 to include recreational use. “Medical marijuana only is not enough,” he added.
The lawmaker predicts the state could generate “$340 million a year in extra tax revenue” from the sale of cannabis. All of which would be split between roads and education. “It would be 50 percent for transportation, which could go to mass transit, or roads, and then 50 percent to the Hope Scholarship,” Thompson told reporters.
As it stands, marijuana possession in Georgia is a criminal misdemeanor. The state has some of the harshest laws in the country when it comes to this offense. Some local jurisdictions have moved to decriminalize it. But much of the state still holds to an anti-weed standard. This means most people busted for even small amounts of marijuana (less than an ounce) run the risk of being sent to jail for a year and paying fines reaching $1,000.
However, if Thompson’s bill miraculously makes it through both the State Senate and the House of Representative, there is a good chance it could pass. Rather than be sent to the governor for approval, the bill would head straight to the ballot in the November election. Georgia voters would have final say. Some of the latest polls show that half of the population would support the question of recreational marijuana.
Evidence demonstrating the medicinal value of cannabis among the elderly continues to pour in. The latest scientific study, this one from Israel, reveals that patients over the age of 65 benefit greatly from the herbal treatment.
According to the research paper published in the European Journal of Internal Medicine, “The therapeutic use of cannabis is safe and efficacious in the elderly population.” Even more promising is the report’s conclusion that “cannabis use may decrease the use of other prescription medicines, including opioids.”
The research authors, all from Israel — the nation that leads the world in cannabis research — included renowned scientist Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, considered to be the father of cannabis research.
According to the study:
During the study period, 2736 patients above 65 years of age began cannabis treatment and answered the initial questionnaire. The mean age was 74.5 ± 7.5 years. The most common indications for cannabis treatment were pain (66.6 percent) and cancer (60.8 percent). After six months of treatment, 93.7 percent of the respondents reported improvement in their condition and the reported pain level was reduced from a median of 8 on a scale of 0-10 to a median of 4. Most common adverse events were: dizziness (9.7 percent) and dry mouth (7.1 percent). After six months, 18.1% stopped using opioid analgesics or reduced their dose.
Just to hammer the main point: Nearly every patient (93.7 percent) reported improvement in their condition and reported less pain. There are not too many medications — prescription or over-the-counter — that have this kind of success rate.
According to the research authors, the results suggest that elderly patients, who are commonly taking a handful of medications a day, would be able to cut back by simply incorporating cannabis into their wellness regimen.
Just two weeks ago, the daytime talk show “The Doctors” examined the skyrocketing use of senior citizens turning to cannabis for medicinal purposes. Producer Leslie Marcus traveled to one of the biggest retirement communities in the nation, where she met a group of seniors who say they are now choosing marijuana instead of prescription meds.
Cannabis appears to be an effective medication for many diseases and ailments that often strike in older age, such as arthritis, muscle pain, sleep disorders, mild depression, Alzheimer’s and a host of others.
While the iPhone X represents the highest form of technology available on a portable device, many users claim that it has issues while taking phone calls. Or as some like to call it, the main function of a phone.
According to Fortune, many users have taken to Apple forums to complain about instances where the touchscreen takes up to 10 seconds to light up when it receives a phone call, leaving people listening to their ringtones without being able to pick up the phone.
I can often not see an incoming call coming, can only hear it! At other times, there is a significant delay 🙁
While the initial reception of the phone was very positive, shipping over 29 million units over the holidays (according to Canalys), the iPhone X has been experiencing some trouble ever since. Sales of the device fell in January and the production of the phone was cut in half. Later, Apple did its first market correction in over a year, demonstrating a 10 percent decline in stock price.
Is it the end of the iPhone era and time for other Android devices to take the spotlight? Is it time for something else? For now, we can only guess and make assumptions. We do know that if you’re about to cash out a thousand bucks for a phone, you should think long and hard about what you want it to do. If you’re a texter, do you really care about the phone call part? You still have Animojis.
It’s true what they say: dogs can smell fear. If you’re afraid of dogs and approach one with anxiety, you’re more likely to get bit.
That’s according to a new study published in the BMJ (British Medical Journal) that found that anxious people are more likely to be bitten by dogs, especially ones they’re not familiar with (i.e. not a family pet).
Published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, researchers looked at data from 694 people and compared the number of bites with demographic, overall health, and emotional stability (determined by a survey known as the Ten Item Personality Inventory, or TIPI). Participants were also asked if they owned a dog.
According to the study, “People who owned several dogs were more than three times as likely to have been bitten as those who didn’t own dogs, and more than half (just under 55%) of respondents said they had been bitten by a dog they didn’t know. Hospital records show the rate of dog bites is 740 per 100,000 of the population, but the survey responses indicate a rate of 1873 per 100,000–nearly three times the official figure.”
The only official statistics collected on dog bites in the U.K. are hospital admissions, not even visits to emergency rooms for treatments. We have no idea how many people are actually bitten by dogs and how many bites require medical treatment.
Results showed that the more emotionally stable and less neurotic an individual was, the less likely they were to be bitten by a dog.
Researchers say it’s essential that “previously assumed risk factors are reassessed as this study has revealed that prior beliefs, such as bites typically being from familiar dogs, are contested.”
In 2015, more than 200,000 endangered antelopes died in a matter of days. At the time of the event, researchers believed that the antelopes died from hemorrhagic septicemia, a bacterial disease caused by Pasteurella multocida. Science Advances recently published that this bacteria lives in most of the adult antelope, and that it became deadly because of the strange changes in weather.
Researchers believe that the deaths were due to a higher than usual humidity and warm temperatures in the days before the deaths. These animals were located in Kazakhstan,in an area that spanned thousands of kilometers.
“The fact that P. multocida infection in saigas … appears strongly linked to high humidity and temperature is of concern going forward, given that a climate change–induced increase in temperature is projected for the region over the short to medium term,”
According to NPR, there were 30,000 saiga antelopes who survived the event. While they’re recovering and breeding, professor Richard Kock believes that the species wouldn’t be able to survive another episode like this. He claims that these survivors made it because they were located in areas that weren’t affected by the high temperatures.
“You went from one or two animals to within three or four days — thousands. And then they were all dead by the seventh day. The animals were showing normal behavior, normal signs, normal grazing and then suddenly they’d start looking a little bit unhappy and stop feeding. Within about three hours they were dead.”
It seems like Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been together forever. Their storybook romance continues to leave us swooning and some of us are even starting to believe in fairy tales. Here’s a look back at how it all started, beginning with their meet-cute in the summer of 2016.
July 2016
During the couple’s first interview together, Harry revealed he and Meghan met through a mutual friend: “It was definitely a set-up — it was a blind date. It was a blind date for sure.” Much of their early relationship was long-distance, as Meghan was still shooting her television series Suits in Toronto, while Harry was in the U.K.
October 31, 2016
News breaks of Harry and Meghan’s relationship courtesy of Express, which reported that: “In recent weeks royal watchers have noticed that Harry, fifth-in-line to the throne, has had a notable spring in his step and can’t stop smiling.”
They quoted a friend as saying:
It’s too early to say if the relationship will lead to anything long-term but who knows? At the moment they are just taking it a step at a time and seeing how things develop.
November 1, 2016
PEOPLEreports Harry had already introduced Meghan to his father, Prince Charles. Things were serious by now!
November 8, 2016
The Royal Family confirms (via statement) Harry and Meghan are dating and ask that the public treat them with respect, saying:
Prince Harry is worried about Ms. Markle’s safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her. It is not right that a few months into a relationship with him that Ms. Markle should be subjected to such a storm. He knows commentators will say this is ‘the price she has to pay’ and that ‘this is all part of the game’. He strongly disagrees. This is not a game – it is her life and his.
November 26, 2016
Prince William issues his own statement in response to Harry’s plea to protect Meghan. Though William shies away from public statements about royal relationships, he made clear his support for his little brother: “The Duke of Cambridge absolutely understands the situation concerning privacy and supports the need for Prince Harry to support those closest to him.”
December 14, 2016
It’s announced that Meghan Markle is 2016’s most Googled actress. It’s also the day photos are published of Meghan and Harry holding hands for the first time in public after seeing a show in London’s West End.
December 20, 2016
It’s reported the Queen is totally on Team Meghan. Us Weekly quoted a Buckingham Palace insider as saying Her Majesty was “fully supportive” of the union. And even though she had yet to meet Meghan, “She’s delighted to see Harry in a loving relationship.”
Us Weeklyreports that Meghan and Harry enjoyed their first vacation together in Norway, saying the couple “decided last-minute to postpone warmer travel plans elsewhere in an attempt to see the Northern Lights.”
March 4, 2017
Meghan is Harry’s Plus One at the wedding of one of Harrys’ childhood friends. The two jetted off to Jamaica for the nuptuals, where, according to People, “For Markle, it is thought to be the first time she has accompanied Harry to a wedding and it marks something of a public coming out for the couple.”
Meghan and Harry share two firsts: their first public outing together and their first public kiss. Both happened following a charity polo match Harry played in.
She didn’t get to go to the wedding (Royal protocol), but Meghan accompanied Harry to Pippa Middleton’s wedding reception in England. He even drove about three hours round-trip to go pick her up from Kensington Palace, where she had been staying.
August 23, 2017
Us Weekly speculates that Harry proposed to Meghan during a three-week stay in Africa for the actress’s 36th birthday, quoting a source as saying the Prince wanted to propose near the anniversary of his mom’s death “so he can associate August with something joyful.”
November 27, 2017
This was a big day for the couple. They announced their engagement, took part in a photocall at Kensington Palace to mark the happy neews, and gave their first interview as a couple for the BBC.
The official announcement from Kensington Palace reads:
“His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince Harry to Ms. Meghan Markle. The wedding will take place in Spring 2018. Further details about the wedding day will be announced in due course. His Royal Highness and Ms. Markle became engaged in London earlier this month. Prince Harry has informed Her Majesty the Queen and other close members of his family. Prince Harry has also sought and received the blessing of Ms. Markle’s parents. The couple will live in Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace.”
Prince William and Kate Middleton release a statement congratulating Harry and Meghan on their engagement.
On the news of Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle's engagement, The Prince of Wales, speaking for himself and The Duchess of Cornwall, said: "We're thrilled. We're both thrilled. We hope they'll be very happy indeed."
Harry and Meghan make their first official visit together since announcing their engagement.
Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle arrive in Nottingham for their first official visit together since announcing their engagement. pic.twitter.com/iXXrJEumxk
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) December 1, 2017
December 15, 2017
Kensington Palace confirms the date of Meghan and Harry’s wedding: May 19, 2018
His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales and Ms. Meghan Markle will marry on 19th May 2018.
Today's announcement follows earlier confirmation of the month of the wedding and its location at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. pic.twitter.com/7pgdRM90Na
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) December 15, 2017
December 21, 2017
The hottest royal engagement photos ever taken are released, one at a time, by Kensington Palace. In one of the sexier pics, Markle wore a Ralph & Russo gown with a nude lining.
Photo by Alexi Lubomirski/Handout/Getty Images
The yin and yang of the formal and informal photos was reportedly started by Harry’s parents, Prince Charles and Lady Diana. As Variety points out, one official portrait shows Diana decked out in an emerald green ball gown, while Charles is stiffly posed in his full navy uniform, like some sort of twisted prom photo op. But, as royal tradition seems to now follow, the couple released another portrait that shows them looking like catalog models, wearing matching blue cotton oxfords.
December 25, 2017
Meghan spends Christmas with her future in-laws, which actually breaks royal protocol, as Meghan and Harry are not yet married.
Merry Christmas! The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle have joined members of the Royal Family for the Morning Service on Christmas Day in Sandringham. pic.twitter.com/6DMRGFPntt
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) December 25, 2017
January 2018
The two are planning their honeymoon. Word on the street is that they want to escape to some place warm. They’re expected to make a decision this month. After all they’ve been through in such a short amount of time, they deserve to kick back on the beach with some cocktails in hand. 2018 is not going to be any easier.
