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This New Dating App Uses DNA To Find Your Perfect Match

Amy Hansen
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This New Dating App Uses DNA To Find Your Perfect Match

It’s not sexy, but with a quick stroke of a Q-tip, you could be on your way to meeting your soul mate.

Two twentysomethings have created a dating app called Pheramor that requires users to swab the inside of their mouth before joining the virtual dating pool, which makes sense since attraction is strongly related to pheromones.

According to the website:

There is a portion of your DNA that encodes for how attracted you will be to someone, and how attracted they will be to you. Pheramor sequences these specific genes associated with attraction, and uploads them into our dating algorithm. Users are then able to see all the local singles; they will see a percentage on each profile, which tells you the percentage of compatibility you’ll have!

One a cheek has been swabbed using a special kit, your sample “will be barcoded and sent to the lab for DNA sequencing of the genes responsible for attraction.”

27-year-old Asma Mirza and 26-year-old geneticist Brittany Barreto, both from Houston, are the women behind Pheramor. The app combines DNA information with personal facts poached from your social media accounts to create a user profile.

According to the Houston Chronicle, two similar dating apps launched in Canada with little success, but that hasn’t dampened the spirits of Mirza and Barreto. They hope to use simple science to launch the U.S.’s first genetic-based dating app.

“Genetic-based human attraction has to do with pheromones. And when we smell pheromones, what we’re actually smelling is how diverse someone’s immune system is compared to our own,” Barreto tells the Houston Chronicle.

Evolution is very strong. So we’re smelling each other, trying to figure out who is the best person to mate with. And that’s what love at first sight actually is. It’s smelling someone’s pheromones from across the room, and your brain says, ‘Oh my Gosh, that’s the most perfect pheromone profile I’ve ever smelled in my entire life. I love them.

The sample swabs are processed by “in house” scientists, who isolate 11 genes that have been linked to attraction. Your identity will not be shared. Says Barreto:

That’s it. I won’t know what you look like, what your heritage is, what your disease status is. I won’t know any of that. All I know is the 11 genes for attractions, from which I’ll know who you think is hot and who you won’t like.

The app is already available, with an initial launch planned for February.

Here’s The Only Hangover Cure That Actually Works

Amy Hansen
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Here’s The Only Hangover Cure That Actually Works

It’s become commonplace to pop some aspirin and dive into a greasy breakfast the day after we drink a little too much, but there might not be anything we can do to cure a raging hangover other than patiently riding one out.

INSIDER spoke to a registered dietitian nutritionist who debunked common cures, like eating burgers and omelettes and other fat-laden foods the morning after.

RELATED: 5 Simple Ways Marijuana Can Help You Smash A Hangover

Malina Linkas of the Wholitarian Lifestyle says eating greasy foods can actually make your hangover worse. She tells INSIDER that eating fatty foods can irritate your stomach further, but if you want to go ahead and grease it up before night of drinking, go for it.

https://giphy.com/gifs/hangover-CyAH49YjEyVY4

She recommends reaching for starches, like toast or crackers after drinking too much, as to not upset the stomach, which aspirin can also do, by the way. It’s also really tough on the liver, as is alcohol. And your major organs don’t need a one-two punch.

Don’t take acetaminophen to treat a hangover. In some people, it can lead to liver damage, and the potential risks outweigh the benefits.

She also says that the “hair of the dog” approach may ease your hangover symptoms temporarily, but they will likely return with a vengeance. What you want to do is hydrate yourself.

Other useless remedies include vitamins, supplements and activated charcoal.

https://giphy.com/gifs/trainwreck-judd-apatow-nbc-universal-CfJwEbFfJ8ehW

So what is the cure for a hangover? Time.

The body will break down the alcohol in eight to 24 hours, depending on how fast your body can metabolize it.

Outside of avoiding alcohol or limiting your intake altogether (both of which are unlikely), a more realistic approach is to drink lots of water and eat a full meal before you imbibe. That way, you can do it all again the next night. We see you.

Brew Year’s Eve: Here’s What Beers To Drink To Usher In 2018

Jacob Uitti
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Brew Year’s Eve: Here’s What Beers To Drink To Usher In 2018

New Year’s Eve can be something of a house of cards. There’s this tenuous balance that must be achieved in order for the perfect evening to be attained. It’s why many resist, preferring instead to put on PJs and Netflix (“Black Mirror” won’t disappoint you like a non-existent date will). But the first order of business for our heroes, the ones who push through and attempt to be human for an evening, is finding the appropriate social lubricant: beer.

via GIPHY

Whether you’re hosting or attending a New Year’s soiree, here are the best beers to have on stock.

What To Bring To A Party

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If it’s a small shindig: do the classy thing and bring a few 22 oz. bottles. This is the more expensive route, but it lends itself to conversation around a living room. You can sample and taste the nuanced beers in small sips. For this, we recommend getting two of the same style for contrast and two much different. In the 22 oz. bottle section in the grocery, there’s often IPA’s so get two of those. Maybe Ninkasi Total Domination and Lagunitas IPA. You can follow those up with an Arrogant Bastard Red Ale and a Newcastle Brown — both big-bodied and bold but not bitter.

If it’s more of a paaarrrtaaayyy: then bring a few six-packs for all your fellow guests. Stella Artois is always a safe option. It’s like the Subway Sandwiches of beer if Subway was a Belgium company. If you want to take it a step up, purchase Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, it’s flowery and hoppy and the original modern beer of sophistication. Now, if you want to add a third six-pack to your gift bearing, try Killian’s Irish Red. It’s a flavorful beer that’s not a light pilsner and not a heavy IPA. It’s not even super malty, which one might expect.

What To Buy If You’re Hosting

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If it’s a small shindig: stick with the nuanced. Yes, you’ll need a few cheap, easy-drinking beers like Rolling Rock (our personal favorite). Or if you want something more in the middle of the road, try Moose Drool Brown Ale from Big Sky. But, most importantly, make sure to stock your fridge and coolers with interesting cans, like the sharp Dale’s Pale Ale and the bright 21st Amendment Brew Free or Die IPA. And if you’re feeling cheeky, buy a couple giant Foster’s cans for laughs.

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If it’s more of a paaarrrtaaayyy: okay, this is where beer artists shine. Diversity is key and you’d be surprised how much beer a group of people can drink. Take lessons from all of the above; have interesting 22 oz. bottles, like Arrogant Bastard, have cans like Dale’s Pale Ale, have six-packs (or even 12 packs) of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

But stock a few wild options, too, like Olde English 40 oz. malt beer, Angry Orchard and Finnriver apple ciders and, because someone always brings their kids, some root or ginger beer (our favorite is Thomas Kemper, but Barq’s will do in a pinch). And, finally, while beer is great, make sure to keep a few bottles of champagne (or champagne alternatives) on ice. It is New Year’s, after all!

 

You Need To See The Giant $3M Engagement Ring On This Heiress

Amy Hansen
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You Need To See The Giant $3M Engagement Ring On This Heiress

If you were traveling through space earlier this week, you may have been able to spot the glistening engagement ring of Alexa Dell, the heiress of the Dell Technologies fortune. Her father is Dell CEO and founder Michael Dell, who’s worth more than $23 billion and ranked 37th richest man in the world. The diamond ring Alexa is now in possession of is…not quite that, but still estimated to be around $2 to $3 million. The diamond encrusted band is punctuated with a 12-carat emerald cut diamond given to her by her fiancé, Harrison Refoua, a millionaire real estate investor she met during a blind date after her split from Tinder CEO, Sean Rad.

The 24-year-old heiress flaunted her ring on Instagram earlier this week.

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

According to the Daily Mail, Alexa, an art collector and branding consultant, was proposed to during a candlelit dinner on the beach at The Four Seasons in Kona, Hawaii, which is owned by her father.

As Insider points out, while Alexa’s ring is impressive, it doesn’t hold a candle to Mariah Carey’s $10 million, 35-carat emerald-cut diamond from James Packer, who she never even married.

Here Are The Top 10 Cannabis Stories Of 2017

Terry Hacienda
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Here Are The Top 10 Cannabis Stories Of 2017

This year was huge for cannabis and the industry continues to take shape as more states and nations soften their rules around marijuana. More consumers have more choices. And fewer people are put behind bars for possession of a plant.

What were the top stories of the year? The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) has been at the forefront of cannabis policy for 47 years. Since the Washington DC-based organization has been tracking trends and statistics for nearly half a century, we consider NORML’s list among the most informative and thorough.

1. Public Support In Favor Of Legalization Reaches All-Time High

Sixty-four percent of US adults – including for the first time a majority of self-identified Republicans – believe that the adult use of marijuana should be legal, according to nationwide polling data published in October by Gallup. The percentage is the highest level of support ever reported by Gallup, which has polled the question since 1969.

2. Legal Cannabis Industry Responsible For 150,000 Full-Time Jobs

The legal cannabis industry is responsible for the creation of an estimated 150,000 full-time jobs, according to state-by-state data. The total represents a 22 percent increase in the number of full-time cannabis-related jobs created since 2016. States reporting the largest number of cannabis-related jobs were California (47,711) Colorado (26,891), and Washington (26,556).

3. Adult Use Laws Do Not Adversely Impact Traffic Fatality Rates

The enactment of statewide laws regulating the adult use and sale of cannabis is not associated with subsequent changes in traffic fatality rates, according to an analysis of traffic safety data published in June in the American Journal of Public Health.

4. Canadian Lawmakers Pledge To Legalize Adult Use By 2018

Liberal Party members introduced comprehensive legislation in April to regulate the use, cultivation, and sale of marijuana by those age 18 and older. Members of the House of Commons overwhelmingly approved the measure in November. The legislation now awaits action from the Senate. Liberal Party members have pledged to enact the legislation by summer 2018.

5. Presidential Commission Ignores Evidence That Cannabis Mitigates Opioid Abuse

A final report issued in November by a Presidential commission on opioids refused to acknowledge science establishing that legal cannabis access is associated with reduced rates of opiate use, hospitalization, and mortality.

6. Medical Marijuana Access Linked To Lower Medicaid Costs

Patients use fewer prescription drugs in states where access to medical cannabis is legally regulated, according to data published in April in the journal Health Affairs. Researchers reported, “[T]he use of prescription drugs in fee-for-service Medicaid was lower in states with medical marijuana laws than in states without such laws in five of the nine broad clinical areas we studied. … If all states had had a medical marijuana law in 2014, we estimated that total savings for fee-for-service Medicaid could have been $1.01 billion.”

7. Anti-Cannabis Zealot Jeff Sessions Named Attorney General

Members of the US Senate in February confirmed the nomination of Republican Congressman Jeff Sessions as US Attorney General. As a member of the US House of Representatives, Sessions once supported the death penalty for certain marijuana offenders and stated publicly, “Good people don’t smoke marijuana.”

8. Vermont Governor Vetoes Marijuana Depenalization Measure

Republican Gov. Phil Scott vetoed legislation in May that sought to eliminate criminal and civil penalties for the adult possession and cultivation of marijuana.

9. New Hampshire Decriminalizes Minor Marijuana Offenses

Republican Gov. Chris Sununu signed marijuana decriminalization into law in July. The law took effect in September. Under the act, the possession of up to 3/4 of an ounce of cannabis and/or up to five grams of hashish by those age 18 or older is no longer criminal.

1o. World Health Organizations Says CBD Is Safe, Should Not Be Restricted

Use of the naturally occurring cannabinoid CBD (cannabidiol) possesses no likely abuse potential and should not be subject to international drug scheduling restrictions, according to recommendations issued in December by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Expert Committee on Drug Dependence. “CBD is generally well tolerated with a good safety profile,” WHO determined.

Americans Are Buying More Cannabis Than The Experts Predicted

Terry Hacienda
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Americans Are Buying More Cannabis Than The Experts Predicted

Consumer spending on legal cannabis in North America is outpacing previous estimates, according to a report released this week by Arcview Market Research. The report forecasts that retail cannabis sales will grow 33 percent from 2016 to nearly $10 billion this year.

By 2021, the legal market is expected to reach $24.5 billion. Arcview also revealed that the medical market in California is already as big as the total markets in Colorado, Washington, and Oregon combined. When California begins selling recreational marijuana beginning Jan. 1, that number will skyrocket.

Related Story: California’s Medical Marijuana Revenue Is Staggering

Arcview crunched the numbers provided by BDS Analytics’ GreenEdge point-of-sale tracking service. Tom Adams, Editor-in-Chief at Arcview Market Research and Principal Analyst at BDS Analytics explained, “Our data shows positive indicators across the board for the legal cannabis industry, in North America and around the globe. … The passage of the 2016 ballot initiatives and continued maturation of the existing adult-use markets are the primary drivers of the growth this year.  That’s nothing compared to what we can expect in 2018 and beyond from Nevada’s tourism, and California and Canada planning to launch adult-use sales in 2018.”

A report released by Arcview earlier in December notes that despite continued federal prohibition, North American consumers continue to rapidly transition their cannabis consumption out of the illicit market and into state-sanctioned retail stores.

Among other findings:

  • Nevada retailers were allowed to open sales to all adults earlier than expected, and generated more than $27 million the first month of adult-use sales, according to the Nevada Department of Taxation.
  • International markets saw major advances in 2017, including the launch of a medical cannabis program for Germany’s population of 82 million people.
  • Despite a pullback by the stocks of US-based publicly traded cannabis-related companies, investment continued to pour into the cannabis business, including the C$101 million IPO of Canadian licensed producer MedReleaf, the largest ever cannabis-related IPO.

“Aside from cryptocurrency, there is simply no other industry changing as rapidly or as unevenly as the cannabis sector,” said Troy Dayton, CEO of The Arcview Group. “That makes capturing the data, predicting consumer behavior, and forecasting political developments both extraordinarily difficult and complicated, and one of the most vital tools for investors, entrepreneurs, and regulators trying to make sense of it all.”

Here Is The Last Great Meme Of 2017

Maria Loreto
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Here Is The Last Great Meme Of 2017

If you’re active on social media you’ve probably noticed the latest New Year’s Eve meme that’s been circulating. The meme consists of giving suggestions as to what song – and which minute of it – you’re supposed to play during your New Year’s Eve party, so that you get to set the mood for 2018 and start the year off right. The song can be depressing, funny, obscure, uplifting, or strange, but the point of the meme is to make it as appealing and memorable for all.

Check out some of the most memorable song selections below:

You get the gist. People get creative with their tweets.

While everyone has their own opinions when it comes to the best song to kick off the new year, a large amount of people agree that THE best song to kick off 2018 is Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight,” especially during that amazing drum solo. I know 2017’s been a divisive year, but I’m glad we can all find solace in those magical drums.

Here’s How Desperate Pennsylvania Patients Are For Medical Marijuana

Terry Hacienda
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Here’s How Desperate Pennsylvania Patients Are For Medical Marijuana

More than 10,000 patients in Pennsylvania have registered with the state to take part in the state’s medical marijuana program, according to the state’s Department of Health. The agency reported earlier this week that nearly 1,200 physicians have been certified to participate in the program.

“Patients have started to receive their medical marijuana identification cards, bringing us one step closer to getting medication to patients in the next four months,” Gov. Tom Wolf said in a news release. “Our grower/processors are well underway, and our dispensaries are approaching the point where they will be ready to open their doors.  Patients who are desperately waiting for this medication will soon find relief.”

The Department of Health also has approved eight grower/processors to begin operations. In order to become operational, the grower/processors underwent several inspections. The grower/processors will now be able to begin accepting seeds and clones to grow medical marijuana.

“We have four grower/processors in the final stages of their inspection process,” Acting Health Secretary and Physician General Dr. Rachel Levine said. “We have been working with them to make sure they are meeting all of the standards set out by the regulations and their facilities are safe and secure. At this time, we do not foresee any issues with the remaining facilities that would prevent them from becoming operational.”

Levine said she has been pleased with the medical communities response to the program. “Physicians play a critical role in this medically-focused program,” Levine said. “The response has been encouraging from the medical community as more doctors are becoming educated on how medical marijuana can help their patients.”

The state’s medical marijuana program became effective on May 17, 2016, and is expected to be fully implemented sometime in 2018. The program will offer medical marijuana to patients who are residents of Pennsylvania and under a practitioner’s care for the treatment of a serious medical condition as defined by the Medical Marijuana Law.

Th 17 “serious medical conditions” under the state’s program include:

  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
  • Autism.
  • Cancer.
  • Crohn’s disease.
  • Damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity.
  • Epilepsy.
  • Glaucoma.
  • HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) / AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome).
  • Huntington’s disease.
  • Inflammatory bowel disease.
  • Intractable seizures.
  • Multiple sclerosis.
  • Neuropathies.
  • Parkinson’s disease.
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder.
  • Severe chronic or intractable pain of neuropathic origin or severe chronic or intractable pain in which conventional therapeutic intervention and opiate therapy is contraindicated or ineffective.
  • Sickle cell anemia.

What You Need to Know About Marijuana And Cystic Fibrosis

Richard Faulk
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What You Need to Know About Marijuana And Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a fatal genetic disease. It messes up the cells that produce sweat, mucus, and digestive acids, so that these essential human juices become sticky and turgid (or, in the case of mucus, even stickier and turgider) and clog up our insides—particularly the lungs and pancreas.

Particularly saline sweat is a symptom of CF. So is wheezing, phlegmy coughing, stuffy nose, smelly, greasy stools, and general yuckiness of the insides. Over time, the disease can make it difficult to metabolize food, cause diabetes, inflame the gallbladder, and fatally damage the airways.

Because about half of CF patients are children and because the disease targets the lungs, physicians have not shown much interest in possible cannabis treatments. Nevertheless, there is some evidence that the endocannabinoid system may have some role in causing (and, ergo, curing) CF. It is evidence that is circulated almost entirely on heavily partizan websites that tend to incorporate a marijuana pun into their URL.

The wellspring of medical cannabis research into CF seems to be two reports coauthored by a single researcher: Esther Fride. Both are based on the somewhat tenuous premise that “endocannabinoids are fatty acid derivatives, and fatty acid deficiency is considered a major factor in CF etiology.”

The only mention of a medical use for cannabis for CF that we could find from an independent source comes from the Mayo Clinic, which recommends oral does of synthetic THC to improve appetite. We imagine that cannabis could credibly relieve CF pain and possibly lessen the organ inflammation as well. But’s pure speculation; we couldn’t find any documented support.

Pending more evidence, we have to call this one a bust. Of course, the hope is that there will be more and considerable research done in the near future. We will update this post when that is the case.

No, You Won’t Be Buying Marijuana With Bitcoin Anytime Soon

Brendan Bures
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No, You Won’t Be Buying Marijuana With Bitcoin Anytime Soon

You’ve heard of Bitcoin. For the past month or so, it’s all anyone can seem to talk about as opportunity to cash in on the current cryptocurrency wave. It seems like digital gold: Pay in cash, watch as its valuation rises, then cash out.

Except that was never Bitcoin’s original intention. The cryptocurrency was aimed at replacing current monetary structures to facilitate digital spending and transfers. ““I’ve been working on a new electronic cash system that’s fully peer-to-peer, with no trusted third party,” said Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto in 2008.

That “electronic cash system” was Bitcoin. Within cannabis circles, folks murmured about using Bitcoin as means to buy or sell marijuana products. Anonymous digital payments that transferred to anywhere in the world instantly that retailers could convert into cash was a tantalizing possibility.

The problem returns, however, to what Bitcoin has become in the cryptocurrency craze. It has devolved into the internet’s version of Wall Street, with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Ethereum the stocks everyone is snapping up. This caused those with Bitcoin currency to hold on to that stock—as it could possibly increase valuation tenfold—instead of using it to buy some grams of weed.

Another issue revolves around Bitcoin’s infrastructure. Because of its volatile nature, retailers weren’t immediately accepting it as payment for goods or services rendered. In addition, to send and receive Bitcoin, users must set up private cryptographic keys, which proved too cumbersome and confuddling for many. This allowed dozens of middle men to flood in with apps like Coinbase, or Bitcoin wallets. (The Outline has a fantastic write-up explaining Bitcoin’s perversion from its original intentions.) And since many newcomers buying Bitcoin are using bank accounts to purchase Bitcoin, they are charged exchange fees from those institutions.

In other words, it will cost you extra cash to send the Bitcoin equivalent for payments. Medium user Jaymrs has an excellent explanation of this.

Via Medium:

Let’s role-play a scenario where you would like to purchase a $100 bag of weed with Bitcoin in order to illustrate the difficulties:
>$100 USD cash in your hand.
>Deposit to bank account
>Purchase of Bitcoin on online exchange: minus 10% = You have $90 value of Bitcoin.
>Send Bitcoin to bud dealer: minus $8 miner fees = You sent $82 value of Bitcoin.
>Wait 1–2 hours for the transaction to confirm. = Dealer gets $82 dollars.

So either you short the dealer, or you pay extra for the same product. Bitcoin’s limitations as a peer-to-peer transaction system—or even machine-to-machine transaction system—are now transparent. Other cryptocurrencies are cropping up to fill in where Bitcoin fails, like Litecoin and IOTA. You even have cannabis-specific cryptocurrencies appearing like Cannabis Coin and the Dennis Rodman-backed PotCoin. Either could prove to be the future. But Bitcoin, for now, is not in cannabis industry’s future.

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