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Essential Rules You Need To Know About Legal Marijuana In California

Mary Schumacher
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Essential Rules You Need To Know About Legal Marijuana In California

Californians legalized cannabis and the whole world is abuzz about it. But before you go skipping down the sidewalk with a jay in hand, you probably want to know the facts about California recreational marijuana.

First of all, no drugged driving. We know you’ve had your medical card since 1996, and you’re not a dummy, but sometimes things happen. It can be easy to rationalize an emergency pick-up or a quick trip to the store for the milk, but if you just put down the vaporizer, don’t do it. Stoned driving is the legal equivalent to drunk driving and it’s dangerous to boot. Carrying pot is okay, but if the package’s seal is broken, keep it in the trunk.

  • Related Story: Inside The Ever-Expanding Complexities Of California’s Cannabis Market

Public smoking is also a no-no and it carries with it a $100 fine. Still, if you accidentally happen to be near a school or playground, that fine goes up exponentially. It’s best to consume at home, at a friend’s house or the nearest social club where you can meet some likeminded new friends.

Purchasing cannabis also comes with restrictions. You can buy one ounce of marijuana at a time, but if you go to the shop down the street and get a second ounce that same day, you’re subject to a $500 fine or even some jail time. The good news is that there are plenty of things you can do.

Grow your own! Growing your own cannabis is a rewarding thing to do for many reasons beyond having inexpensive and plentiful legal weed. (If you grow your own, you can keep whatever your crop happened to be from your six plants.) Gardening is therapeutic and whether you grow hydroponically or utilize the golden California sun, it’s just a feel-good activity.

You can also go to the dispensary without a medical card. Walking into a pot shop and not needing anything but your wallet is a yet a treat in newly legalized California. You need prove nothing in order to score what may be your medicine, your good times or your destressor for the week.

Finally, you can discuss recreational cannabis in any volume you’d like. Shout it from the rooftops or have a gossip fest at the grocery store. You still might want to keep it quiet around those not old enough to imbibe, but let your freedom ring!

By The Numbers: California’s First Week Of Marijuana Legalization

Terry Hacienda
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By The Numbers: California’s First Week Of Marijuana Legalization

On Monday, California officially became America’s — and the world’s — largest legal market for cannabis sales. The New Year’s Day launch was historic, but for most of the state’s residents, it was a relatively normal first day of the year.

California was the first state to vote for medical marijuana in 1996 and the medical “gray” market thrived for more than 20 years up and down the state before Monday’s much-anticipated launch. Full legalization was an enormous step, but laid-back Californians appeared to take it all in stride.

Despite the laid-back reception, it still is huge news. “This is an historic day for the state of California,” said Bureau of Cannabis Control Chief Lori Ajax. “We are hopeful that we have put forth a model that other states will look to as an example when they head down the path to legalization.”

Here is a by-the-numbers snapshot of what the green rush means for the Golden State:

$7 Billion

A conservative estimate of how much the legal cannabis is worth in the state.

15 Percent

The amount the state will tax all cannabis products. Farmers will pay taxes on the buds and leaves they sell, which will be passed on to retail consumers. Local governments can levy additional taxes.

$684 Million

The estimate of tax revenue California will collect in 2018. That number is expected to hit $1 billion by the end of the decade.

First Ever

Henry Wykowski, a former assistant US attorney in San Francisco, made the first legal retail purchase of cannabis when he spent $20.01 on 1 gram of Neville’s Purple at Oakland’s Harborside facility. When asked what he felt, Wykowski told the San Francisco Chronicle, the experience was “better than Christmas,” he said. “It’s a statement. It’s like voting.”

One Ounce

California State law limits the daily purchase to 1 ounce of cannabis flower or bud, eight grams of concentrated cannabis and six immature plants per customer.

1,000 Feet

Smoking cannabis in public is against state law. The law also forbids anyone from smoking within 1,000 feet of a school or a daycare center when children are around.

Six

California becomes the sixth state to legalize the retail sale of recreational marijuana, joining Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Alaska and Nevada. Massachusetts and Maine are expected to begin sales in 2018.

1913 / 1996 / 2016

The state of California banned marijuana in 1913. Medical marijuana became legal in 1996. Recreational marijuana became legal in 2016 when voters passed Proposition 64.

Zero

The number of retail stores in Kern County, the state’s third largest county. The entire county has banned the sale of marijuana. The Santa Cruz Sentinel reports sales will be legal in cities such as San Jose, Oakland and Berkeley. One 25-mile swath of the East Bay — from Hayward to El Cerrito — will allow sales. Other rural counties — Fresno, Modoc, Glenn and Tulare — have also kept sales illegal. Individual cities  have opted out as well.

20 Minutes

“We can deliver marijuana in 20 minutes; it’s like pizza,” Will Senn, co-founder of Urbn Leaf, told the Los Angeles Times. Urbn Leaf makes deliveries in San Diego, which is currently the only part of the county where recreational cannabis can be sold, the Times reported.

$2.5 Trillion

According to Vox, more than 39 million people reside in California and they’re worth roughly $2.5 trillion — more than twice as populous and wealthy as all the previous legal pot states combined.

5 US Nude Beaches Where You Can Be Naked This Summer

Maria Loreto
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5 US Nude Beaches Where You Can Be Naked This Summer

Everyone’s heard of nude beaches, and some people claim they’d love to go to one, but few actually commit to that idea and find a place where they can suntan in the buff and not worry about those pesky tan lines. It’s understandable. Nude beaches are not discussed openly because people are generally prudes, but they’re out there and closer than you think.

Nude beaches are plentiful in Europe and in other parts of the world, but you’d be surprised by the amount of quality beaches in the US where clothing is completely optional.

Check out these 5 beautiful US nude beaches: 

Gunnison Beach, New Jersey

 

A post shared by Reform Naturism (@reformnaturism) on

Gunnison Beach is the only legal nudist beach in New Jersey, and it’s extremely popular. You can find all types of bodies on display, and everyone happily minds their own business for the most part.

Halouver Beach, Florida

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The beachgoers here claim it’s a space where they feel safe and they learn to love the flaws in their bodies.

Juniper Woods, New York

Located in the Catskills of New York, this beach is surrounded by heavy woods, making it the perfect place to disconnect and hang out with likeminded people.

South Black’s Beach, California

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This clothing-optional beach is popular with locals. This beach is a great place to go if you’re feeling curious, because there are many non-nude beaches close that you can run to if you’re feeling a little shy.

Hippie Hollow, Texas

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This beach is pretty easy going, allowing you to drink alcohol as long as it’s somewhat discreet, and to lounge around naked or clothed. No one cares.

5 Ways To Easily Manage Seasonal Affective Disorder

Maria Loreto
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5 Ways To Easily Manage Seasonal Affective Disorder

Wintertime is a season filled with extreme emotions, ranging from happiness during the holidays, to bouts of depression, anxiety, stress due to end-of-year expenses and the bitter winter cold.

Sometimes the symptoms of depression require intervention, like with the condition known as Seasonal Affective Disorder. These symptoms can be treated, and with the following recommendations, you’ll be a whole lot less SAD.

Check out these 5 ways to manage Seasonal Affective Disorder: 

Morning Walks And Runs

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Working out in the mornings can really make you feel better and boost your body. A low-intensity workout can produce the same effect and give you a rush of energy and much needed exposure to the sun.

Eat The Right Foods

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Certain foods can make you feel better. Salmon, which is rich in Omega 3, and oatmeal, which contains mega-doses of melatonin, can both help.

Go Outside

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Natural sunlight can have a powerful effect on your mental and physical health, no matter how cold it is. Go out while wearing a lot of layers and experience winter.

Sunlight & The Right Light

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Try to have as much light in your life as possible, either indoors or outdoors. Open the blinds or invest in a SAD light, which will make you feel immediately better.

Maintain A Schedule

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Maintaining a schedule will help you keep your circadian rhythms in order, balancing out your mood and energy levels. Sticking to a routine will help you make the most of your days and keep your mind off of the winter season.

These People Believe Earth Is Hollow, Filled With Aliens And Nazis

Amy Hansen
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These People Believe Earth Is Hollow, Filled With Aliens And Nazis

There’s a growing number of conspiracy theorists who believe the world is not only hollow, but filled with everything from aliens to Nazis to the lost Viking colonies of Greenland.

And according to the guy spearheading this weird theory, the superior race living inside the earth has been spying on us with UFOs, while trying to prevent a nuclear war.

Rodney Cluff, author of World Top Secret: Our Earth IS Hollow, organized a 2007 voyage to the center of the earth to try and find an opening at the North Pole, something NASA has been blamed for “hiding” from the rest of us. The expedition was cancelled. Shocking, right?

He tells The SunOnline that more and more people are starting to believe in this ridiculous hollow Earth theory, saying, “I get emails from people learning about it every day. It’s definitely growing in popularity, certainly not in the millions, but maybe in the thousands.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bcxm5K8nByW

And if you think he also subscribes to the flat Earth theory, well, that’s just dumb, according to Cluff:

I don’t know how the flat-Earthers can be so confused. They are obviously wrong. The world is not flat – it’s hollow. They reject all the evidence.

Unlike flat-Earthers, Cluff and his fellow hollow Earthers believe that the world (and all other planets) is more doughnut shaped, with three openings to inner Earth: two near the North and South poles and one in the Himalayas.

Mr. Cluff says he believes the outer shell of the Earth is about 800 miles thick and says those who have gotten a first hand look inside describe it as paradise.

The hollow Earth theory can be traced back to the Ancient Greeks, Tibetan Buddhists and Christians who believed that underground realms often became associated with the afterlife.

And according to The Sun, the idea gained traction once again after 18th century astronomer Edmond Halley used the hollow Earth argument to explain wayward compass readings.

Groomsman Epically Faints During Wedding

Amy Hansen
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Groomsman Epically Faints During Wedding

We’ve all been to a boring wedding. You quietly hope for a little excited, like a groomsman epically faints during wedding.  Well, Noah Nicholls found out the hard way that if you’re going to fall asleep during the ceremony, don’t be standing up while you do it. If a man falls during nuptials and nobody is around to hear it, does he make a sound?

As a groomsman at his friend’s wedding, Noah decided that he was going to take a little nap during the pastor’s 40-minute speech (40 MINUTES!) and went down like he just heard someone yell, “timber!” The video is insane to watch, but Noah is okay. So okay, he took to Reddit to share his story and laugh about the ordeal (as much as a  person can laugh with a messed up mouth).

Pastor said he was going to give a ‘quick’ 20 minute sermon that became 40+ minutes. I had a terrible breakfast and next to no sleep, I locked my knees and shortly after woke up on the floor. I broke my nose, dislodged my front teeth, and messed up my jaw pretty bad.

When someone sarcastically called the bride an “Attention whore!” Noah responded, “Yeah….the bride was giving her vows so I had to step in.” He also shared a photo of his shattered face.

RELATED: Florist Makes Wedding Weed Bouquets, Yes You Can Smoke Them

“This is me about an hour after it happened.”

Let this be a lesson to future brides and grooms. Your wedding needs to be quick, like, “I do” a virginal kiss and a victory lap down the aisle. Everyone just wants to get on with the reception and drink. Hopefully, the rest of the wedding party poured one out for Noah. We see you, buddy!

RELATED: Rainy Weather Cocktails

Here’s the cringeworthy video. Noah gets a 10/10 for form.

VIDEO: How To Use Amazon Prime To Help The Homeless

Maria Loreto
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VIDEO: How To Use Amazon Prime To Help The Homeless

This guy smartly cracked Amazon’s delivery services for good, using the app and it’s advantages to help out homeless people in need.

Inspired by Amazon’s express delivery features, Rob Bliss decided to gift items such as socks and shoes to homeless people, who need them badly during the winter. Homelessness is a big problem in America, especially in large cities such as Los Angeles, where, in 2016, 21 percent of the population experienced homelessness. New York City followed closely, with 15 percent of their population experiencing homelessness on a single night.

The video proposes the use of Amazon Prime Now and other express delivery apps as a way of helping out homeless people, giving them items that they’ll value, that’ll be long lasting and that will help them be more comfortable in their day to day lives. Bliss ordered the packages to the address where the homeless person was located, with special instructions to the delivery man, detailing who they were supposed to give the package to.

With the use of these apps, everyone can help and provide a substantial “present” that’s worth much more than the change in your pocket. Some of the most requested items on this video were everyday things, such as socks, hygiene kits, underwear, and water.

Science: Eating Lots Of This Food Makes You More Attractive

Amy Hansen
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Science: Eating Lots Of This Food Makes You More Attractive

If you’re looking to make a diet change in 2018, eat your veggies! Not only does five servings of vegetables a day add a ton of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to your system, but it also makes you more attractive.

Scientists at the University of St Andrews found that carotenoid pigments — the orangey-red pigments found in fruit and vegetables — positively affects skin color. In fact, results showed just two extra portions of fruit and vegetables a day created “a detectable change in skin color within six weeks.”

According to researcher Ross Whitehead:

People who eat more fruit and vegetables have a ‘golden’ skin tone that looks healthy and attractive. Our latest research finds that even small improvements in diet produces visible benefits to skin color. We were very surprised by how quick the changes were.

Cynthia Sass of Health says adding more vegetables to your diet is a no-brainer. Even if your calorie level stays the same, you’ll be more satiated, thanks to all the water and fiber content of fruits and vegetables.

When researchers compared people that consumed the same number of calories, they found those who ate more plant foods had a lower BMI and smaller waist measurements, as well as less inflammation, compared to those who ate less produce.

She points to a German study that found that every gram of fiber we eat essentially cancels out about seven calories.

Plant-based foods also regulate blood sugar and insulin levels and protect against chronic disease. And compared to the cost of a doctor’s bill, they’re much friendlier on the wallet, even if you spring for organic.

The Fresh Toast Signs Benchmark Partnership With 800,000 Medical Professionals

Kelly Barbieri
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The Fresh Toast Signs Benchmark Partnership With 800,000 Medical Professionals

In what will be a win for the entire cannabis patient community, The Fresh Toast signs benchmark partnership with Skipta, the leading social network of online medical communities for verified healthcare professionals. Skipta’s communities include Oncology Nation, Doctor Unite, Nurse Innovator and Cardiologist Connect. With 76 percent of doctors supporting medical marijuana, this partnership will offer a platform for North American physicians to share information with patients.

Skipta’s 800,000 healthcare professionals will develop accurate and reliable clinical information regarding the treatment of various conditions with medicinal cannabis for The Fresh Toast, as well as cannabis recommendations for patients. This partnership will encourage patients and caretakers to see The Fresh Toast as the trusted site for medical cannabis information.

The partnership—the first of its kind in the industry—will ensure doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers will receive accurate and reliable clinical information on the treatment of various conditions with medicinal cannabis, and will allow The Fresh Toast to exclusively publish health-related cannabis (and non-cannabis) content authored by Skipta’s healthcare community.

“The partnership between The Fresh Toast and Skipta can be a transformational step forward for medical cannabis,” said John Hudak, Ph.D., senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution and author of Marijuana: A Short History. “The Fresh Toast is one of the leading voices on all things cannabis and by forging a relationship with a massive network of healthcare professionals it will increase information, knowledge and access to knowledge for those at the forefront of the medical cannabis conversation. Relationships like this one help fill a government-driven, gaping void in our understanding of medical cannabis and the realities of its practice in American society.”

The Fresh Toast’s medical articles are overseen by Tom Green, MD. As the first site with a continuum of care, our goal is to provide cannabis healthcare information in an easily consumable format, which allows patients and caregivers to learn how aliments can be helped by cannabinoid medicine and what are the potential treatment options.

“From day one, The Fresh Toast has strived to be the mainstream voice for the cannabis industry by helping the general public understand marijuana and frame it in a way so that it fits into the everyday life,” said JJ McKay, publisher of The Fresh Toast. “Like wine, it can be a recreational option and like aspirin, it can help a variety of medical symptoms along with aches and pains.”

With the signing of this partnership, The Fresh Toast is the first marijuana media company in North America to integrate a medical association. Until now, no hospital, medical group, or practice has been linked with a cannabis company. Through our partnership with Skipta, The Fresh Toast will establish a channel for serious medical marijuana information with a network that includes 800,000 medical professionals including 600,000 physicians.

“As we see growing acceptance of cannabis in the US, especially for medical use, it is important for reliable health organizations and reputable media to take leadership in providing the public with scientifically sound information,” stated Regina Benjamin, former United States Surgeon General.

This year, The Fresh Toast will expand health coverage, roll out a dispensary and doctor directory and share cannabis patient stories with readers. This, combined with content from our Skipta healthcare partners, will allow us to become a lifeline for newly diagnosed patients as they learn what cannabis can do for them and how to get started.

Skipta supports the medical advancement of its members by offering a range of collaborative peer-based services that aid quality of care and contribute to improved patient outcomes. Skipta’s network provides trusted forums and a range of tools for the life sciences industry to engage with healthcare professionals.

Skipta Founder and CEO, Dr. Theodore Search, Pharm.D., stated, “This exciting partnership with The Fresh Toast offers us a unique vehicle to distribute reliable, trusted information on a potential treatment option likely to become revolutionary in improving patient outcomes across a variety of therapeutic areas. With clinical trials.gov currently citing more than 700 studies regarding the use of cannabinoid medicine across various phases of the clinical process, there is much information out there for the public to stay apprised of—we are proud to lighten that burden by bringing the latest news and information to the public from a trusted source.”

Congratulations to The Fresh Toast for signing a benchmark partnership!

Marijuana And Impaired Driving: This Study May Surprise You

Drug Policy Alliance
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Marijuana And Impaired Driving: This Study May Surprise You

A report on drug-impaired driving finds that the relationship between a drug’s presence in the body and its effect on driving “are complex, not understood well, and vary from driver to driver.”

Though the report claims that drivers involved in fatal crashes are now more likely to have used legal or illegal drugs than alcohol, it warns that the “drug data should be interpreted with caution.” As noted by the report authors, data on the presence of drugs in crash-involved drivers are incomplete in most jurisdictions, inconsistent from state to state, and sometimes inconsistent across jurisdictions within states. In addition, the report finds that testing standards have been adapted in responses to changes in state marijuana laws. As such, data cannot be reliably compared across years or jurisdictions.

Additionally, these data are from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, which come with a disclaimer stating that they only show the prevalence of marijuana use in tested drivers. The data tell us nothing about impairment.

It would not be surprising if more people 21 years of age and older are using marijuana in the states that have legalized, as these data might suggest. They do not, however, tell us that there are more impaired drivers on the road. That question has not yet been analyzed.

Researchers widely accept that a drug may still be present in a driver’s system long after the impairment effects of that drug have worn off. For instance, marijuana may be detected hours, days, or even weeks after use, long after impairment has dissipated. To make an analogy, this would be like an alcohol test that showed us whether a person has consumed a glass of wine or a beer within the past week or two. It would tell us nothing about whether the person was safe to drive.

Moreover, the extent to which marijuana use impairs driving is unclear. While research shows a clear correlation between alcohol and crash risk, marijuana studies demonstrate that THC’s effects on crash risk are ambiguous. Some marijuana impairment studies demonstrate that THC is only associated with a relatively small or uncertain increase in crash risk. Others have demonstrated that heavy marijuana users experience fewer performance impairments than occasional users. Some studies show that marijuana alone does not lead to any increase in crash risk. Still others report contradictory conclusions on the relationship between THC intoxication and driving impairment.

What we do know so far is that road safety has remained stable in states that have legalized marijuana. Data from Washington, Colorado, Oregon and Alaska (the first 4 states to legalize marijuana) show that traffic fatality rates have remained statistically unchanged post-legalization.


In fact, in Washington and Colorado, the states that have experienced legalization the longest, traffic fatality rates are lower than they were a decade prior and are below the national average for traffic fatalities (see chart from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration).

In the interest of road safety, we should focus state and federal resources on better understanding the relationship between drug use and crash risk. When California voters approved Proposition 64: the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, legalizing marijuana in the state, they also voted to dedicate marijuana tax revenues to researching how to define and measure marijuana impairment in drivers.


More money and resources need to be invested in similar research projects so that we can establish reliable protocols for measuring marijuana and other drug-impairment in drivers.

Jolene Forman is a staff attorney with the Drug Policy Alliance.

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