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‘Harry Potter’ Author Shares How She Created Hogwarts House Names

Brendan Bures
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‘Harry Potter’ Author Shares How She Created Hogwarts House Names

J.K. Rowling refuses to stop tweeting about Harry Potter. To which we say: let her. It’s her right as the author of the most consuming literary franchise of the 21st century, sprawling from books into video games, films, online communities, theme parks, plays and more.

So learning just where and how the original inspiration sprung from Rowling’s mind remains fascinating. (However, her re-writing certain character’s fates, like suddenly deciding Albus Dumbledore was gay and that Harry and Hermione should’ve ended up together, isn’t so interesting.) Following an online conversation about the fallacies of writer’s best practices and rules for good writing, Rowling jumped in, agreeing that each writer has her own methodology.

Rowling did course-correct, admitting that she does engage in one writerly tradition: Wherever she goes, she carries a notebook around. Whenever inspiration strikes, she wants to jot it down.

Her fans responded to the author, sharing the various things they’ve written on over the years. (Personal note: I once asked a waitress at a traditional Thai restaurant for pen and paper, as random ideas were flowing through my brain.) One fan said she once wrote on spare napkins in her purse at a birthday party when inspiration struck.

This propelled Rowling to respond with her own anecdote. She admitted to once writing the names of the famous Hogwarts houses—Slytherin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw—on an airplane’s sick bag.

Just imagine how much that barf bag is worth now? One user had a witty response, saying one house’s name make sense if it was writing on the back of an airplane sick bag.

https://twitter.com/DougJ7777/status/941661121538330625

CBD Has No Health Risks Claims World Health Organization

Terry Hacienda
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CBD Has No Health Risks Claims World Health Organization

The world’s premier health agency this week declared that one of the main compounds found in marijuana presents no health risks. The World Health Organization also announced that cannabidiol (CBD) holds promise as a potential treatment for various ailments, including psychosis.

The U.N. health agency’s report is in direct conflict with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, which claims CBD, a non-psychoactive ingredient is a Schedule I drug. The federal government’s scheduling means that CBD has no accepted medical use and has a high potential for abuse.

“In humans, CBD exhibits no effects indicative of any abuse or dependence potential,” according to the report. “CBD is generally well tolerated with a good safety profile.”

The WHO report also revealed that CBD has “been demonstrated as an effective treatment for epilepsy,” and that there exists “preliminary evidence that CBD may be a useful treatment for a number of other medical conditions,” including Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and psychosis.

According to the report, “current information does not justify scheduling of cannabidiol,” and it found that using medical marijuana will not lead to addiction to THC, marijuana’s psychoactive ingredient that induces intoxication.

Despite clear evidence of the medical value of CBD, the DEA last year doubled-down on its position that CBD should remain under the Schedule I classification. The DEA made the point clear by creating a new drug code for marijuana extracts, including pure CBD.

The World Health Organization is in the process of considering whether to place CBD within the agency’s international drug scheduling code. The WHO committee will take a more extensive investigation into the efficacy of CBD next spring.

You can read the full report here.

 

Lead Photo by: Vaping360.com

Colorado Politician Fighting For Marijuana As A Solution To Opioid Crisis

Terry Hacienda
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Colorado Politician Fighting For Marijuana As A Solution To Opioid Crisis

Colorado Congressman Jared Polis, who is surrendering his seat in the House to run for governor, continued his long fight for sensible marijuana law reform this week. He announced his intention to prevent federal agencies from interfering with state law.

“I will push back on any federal effort to interfere with our laws and not share information if it’s not related to a criminal investigation under our own law or ordered by a court,” Polis said on Monday. “The federal government has very limited law enforcement resources in the states, most of law enforcement is in the hands of cities, counties, and the state and so as long as we don’t cooperate it would be hard, almost impossible, for there to be a major federal-only enforcement action.”

Later in the week, Polis sent a letter to Eric D. Hargan, acting secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, asking the agency to investigate cannabis as an alternative treatment to opioids for pain. The letter reads:

Recent studies published by qualified academic researchers suggest that marijuana may prove to be a useful alternative treatment for chronic pain instead of harmful, addictive prescription opioids, and that marijuana may reduce the overall number of opioid overdose deaths.

  • Related Story: DEA Regulation Of Medical Marijuana After FDA Approval Is Scary

  • A 2014 JAMA International Medicine study analyzed all 50 states and found that those with medical marijuana law had 25% fewer fatal opioid overdoses than states that had no such laws between 1999 and 2010.
  • A HealthAffairs study published last year looked at Medicare Part D prescribing data and found that with the implementation of state medical marijuana laws, among prescriptions for pain there was a reduction of o1,826 daily doses filled per prescriber per year. This same study also found that due to implemented medical marijuana laws, Medicare Part D savings were over $165 million among seventeen states and the District of Columbia on 2013.
  • A 2016 Journal of Pain survey of chronic pain patients found that among participants there was some suggested benefit to medical marijuana use, such as fewer side effects to medication, a 64% reduction in overall opioid use, and an improved quality of life among half patients.
  • A report released in January 2017 by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine compiled research from over 10,000 studies on marijuana and its components. The report states that “in adults with chronic pain, patients who were treated with cannabis or cannabinoids are more likely to experience a clinically significant reduction in pain symptoms.” This report also concluded that “there is substantial evidence that cannabis is an effective treatment for chronic pain in adults.”

  • Related Story: This Bill Will Protect State-Based Legal Marijuana Laws From Jeff Sessions And Federal Interference

You can read the entire letter here.

Olivia Newton-John’s Medical Marijuana Update: ‘Life Is Wonderful’

Brendan Bures
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Olivia Newton-John’s Medical Marijuana Update: ‘Life Is Wonderful’

The beloved actress and singer Olivia Newton-John recently opened up about her positive usage of medical marijuana. In May of this year, we reported that Newton-John’s breast cancer had returned and she was using medical marijuana ease her symptoms.

This week Newton-John said she is “pain-free” and progressing well in a TV interview with Australia’s Sunrise.

“I’m feeling well. In fact, I just finished a tour on the weekend, so I’ve been working again,” Newton-John said. “And I have no pain and life is wonderful.”

She announced plans of returning to the down-under to celebrate the holidays with her family. Though she’s been out publicly as of late, she revealed that the start of the new year would cause her to slow down for a while.

“I’m going to take a couple of months off in the beginning of the year, and I have a few concerts planned for March,” she said. “But after that, I’m not quite sure what I’m doing, but I’m kind of looking at it, but with a little bit more time off in between.”

In addition she shared about her holistic approach to healing. Newton-John’s husband John Easterling is the founder of the Amazon Herb Company and served as part of the inspiration to include cannabis in her treatments. In addition, the singer’s daughter Chloe Lattanzi is a noted cannabis advocate and entrepreneur. She recently opened her own marijuana farm in Oregon with her husband this year.

“I take a lot of natural herbs and healing remedies and also medicinal cannabis that’s helped me a lot,” Newton-John said. “Initially, I had a lot of pain. I don’t have pain now. I’m so lucky. I’m married to an amazing man who is a plant medicine expert.”

This Study Says Marijuana Is An Exit Drug From Opioids

Al Olson
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This Study Says Marijuana Is An Exit Drug From Opioids

For years, researchers have been collecting data demonstrating that Americans who consume cannabis are substituting the herb for opioids and prescription pharmaceuticals. A new study reveals which kinds of drugs are being replaced by cannabis.

According to Canadian study, here are the substances that are being squeezed out by cannabis:

  • All prescription drugs: 63 Percent
  • Pharmaceutical opioids: 30 Percent
  • Alcohol: 25 Percent
  • Benzodiazepines: 16 Percent
  • Antidepressants: 12 Percent
  • Tobacco: 12 Percent
  • Illicit drugs: 3 Percent

Of those substituting cannabis, 42 percent admit that they are are acquiring their herb from illegal and unregulated sources.

Last lear, Eaze, a three-year-old California cannabis delivery company, released a survey that showed 82 percent say they drink less alcohol because of their cannabis consumption and 11 percent quite drinking booze altogether because of marijuana.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, nearly 90,000 Americans die from alcohol-related causes per year.

The Eaze survey also revealed that 95 percent of those medicating with cannabis report using fewer pain pills than they normally would have without cannabis.

Other studies show similar results. A recent University of Michigan study suggested that medical marijuana patients “reported a 64 percent reduction in their use of more traditional prescription pain medications known as opioids.”

There is a growing body of evidence to support the use of medical cannabis as an adjunct to or substitute for prescription opiates in the treatment of chronic pain, the University of Michigan study said. “When used in conjunction with opiates, cannabinoids lead to a greater cumulative relief of pain, resulting in a reduction in the use of opiates (and associated side-effects) by patients in a clinical setting. Additionally, cannabinoids can prevent the development of tolerance to and withdrawal from opiates, and can even rekindle opiate analgesia after a prior dosage has become ineffective. Novel research suggests that cannabis may be useful in the treatment of problematic substance use.”

How To Masturbate On The DL When You’re Home For The Holidays

Amy Hansen
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How To Masturbate On The DL When You’re Home For The Holidays

You’re home for the holidays and immediately regress to your teenage days when mom and dad and the family dog knew what you were up to at all times. All those dirty thoughts? They definitely knew about that, too. Depending on your family dynamic, getting off might be the only thing that gets you through the holidays; a respite at night when you need it most, along with some Netflix binging after your parents go to bed at 9 p.m.

Refinery29 did the dirty work and consulted with a sex therapist and sex coach to construct a list of sex toys and techniques to make sure silent night stays that way.

Shower 

This may sound like a no-brainer, but there’s nothing suspicious about a long shower. Remember, you have all those creepy relatives to wash off you. Nobody will get suspicious. (Check out the waterproof vibrator recommended if you want a shower buddy.)

https://www.instagram.com/p/v4GWOhEkKv

Read Erotica

Find the filthiest book you can imagine, with an inconspicuous cover, if possible, and go to town. (Here’s a list of free erotic fiction websites). It’s less stressful than trying to control the volume on your laptop. If you need to watch port to get off, make sure to bring your earbuds.

Chose Your Sex Toys Wisely

Pack some that don’t look like straight-up sex toys. Skip the handcuffs and leather whip and bring some toys that mimic regular travel items, like a lipstick and necklace-shaped vibrator.

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

Sext

Of course, there’s always the tried and true way of sexting your partner, whether or not they’re traveling with you. Are they sitting next to you? In the next room? Getting busy by themselves in the bedroom? Hundreds of miles away? Going on a coffee run? This way of getting off can be done anywhere and anytime. Plus, you can swap naughty pics. Just make sure you don’t accidentally send that nude to the wrong person. That is the type of Christmas present that needs to come with a warning.

For more hacks, head on over to Refinery29.

Cardi B’s Daily Style Tips Are The Gifts That Keep Giving

Brendan Bures
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Cardi B’s Daily Style Tips Are The Gifts That Keep Giving

Cardi B is undeniable. Part of it’s the unapologetic authenticity, part of it’s the petty jokes, but whatever you think of her, you can’t ignore Cardi B.

And why the hell would you want to? Her Instagram feed is always filled with the rapper keeping it real in ways most didn’t even know was possible to keep it real. Perhaps that’s why Steve Madden employed her in their year-end marketing campaign to deliver Daily Tips with Cardi B.

Be warned, these tips are at the very least PG-13 rated. Alright, motherf–kers,” she greets in the very first video. She delivers advice like “Every woman need to have a pointy shoe” and “Alright if I button this shirt, I can go to a business meeting but I can where this to da club.”

The campaign’s intention is for Cardi B to select her five favorite Steven Madden style and deliver improvised tips on how best to wear them. She tells you about glittery shoes she calls the “wifey” (because you can still attend brunch in them without drawing side eye) and why white boots are her current move (they’re sexy).

“You know what makes a outfit?” she says in one video. “A good, poppin’ ass shoe.” Enough said.

12 Of The Best ‘Ugly Christmas Sweater’ Nails On Instagram

Amy Hansen
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12 Of The Best ‘Ugly Christmas Sweater’ Nails On Instagram

After subjecting our eyes to Beardaments and Christmas tree eyebrows this season, it’s refreshing to be introduced to a trend that’s  actually…cute. Unlike beard glitter and over-waxed eyebrows, ugly Christmas sweater nails are incredibly flattering on just about anyone (anyone with good nails!). It’s amazing how fashionable ugly sweater prints become when you put them on a different part of your body.

Don’t be fooled by their name. Ugly Christmas sweater nails don’t necessarily have to look like ugly sweaters at all. Some of them simply have seasonal prints, while others look like wrapping paper and ornaments.

This trend isn’t new, but this year it’s certainly taking off on social media, as most fashion does. It’s a great visual! Here are 12 of our favorite looks, in no particular order.

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

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bclk4sPFBD7

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

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BcpuweABxl2

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

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bbfiz7Njlh2

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bbb4WpyHy7p

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

https://www.instagram.com/p/BcbROknn72D

https://www.instagram.com/p/BcS0yDpFvzh

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOTO6CGjVjV/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BN8u9-4Bu4F/

Veterinarians Pushing DEA To Reschedule Medical Marijuana For Pets

Brendan Bures
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0
Veterinarians Pushing DEA To Reschedule Medical Marijuana For Pets

Anecdotally we have seen the medicinal effects of marijuana. But the most of the science behind marijuana’s relationship to the human body remains a mystery, thanks to the Drug Enforcement Agency’s classifying cannabis as a Schedule I Drug. That means the DEA thinks cannabis, as well as CBD products like oils and extracts, hold no therapeutic benefits and are actively harmful, holding a high potential for abuse.

Doctors and medical professionals alike have urged the DEA to remove the Schedule I label on marijuana so that they may study the drug properly and report hard evidence on what cannabis does and doesn’t do to our bodies as a medicine.

But a recent Cannabiz Daily report reveals that now a different kind of doctor is joining the conversation—veterinarians. Though the research is more limited on how marijuana or CBD affect pets’ health, many pet owners have in fact be turning to the drug as a form of treatment. However, the US Food and Drug Administration handed down a verdict recently that companies selling cannabis products are in violation of the law. The USDA has also threatened legal action if these companies continue selling their products.

This new USDA policy caused the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine to halt a study on how CBD affects dogs ailed by pruritis and osteoarthritis. In addition, Auburn vet Dawn Booth is waiting for federal approval to conduct a study on marijuana’s effects on dogs with epilepsy. Boothe claims everything is prepared for her to begin early next year but can’t thanks to bureaucratic roadblocks.

This inability to study cannabis and its effects have caused veterinarians to fight back.

Via Cannabiz Daily:

The policy-making body of the American Veterinary Medical Association stated that it wants marijuana declassified in order to facilitate opportunities for research on the substance’s human and veterinary medical uses. It also asked the organization’s board to explore coordinating with other stakeholders toward meeting this goal. The board is just waiting for a recommendation from two group councils.

According to the board’s chairman, Michael Whitehair, their main concern is about pet owners extrapolating dosages on their own and medicating their pets without proper guidance from a medical professional. This, he said, is an important reason why research should be continued.

With ambiguous federal laws and fear of prosecution, veterinarians will remain hog-tied without major change. In other words, they’re just in the dark as other scientific researchers who want to study marijuana and its medicinal effects.

Watch The New Concept Trailer For The Original ‘Star Wars’

Brendan Bures
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Watch The New Concept Trailer For The Original ‘Star Wars’

More than perhaps any other franchise, the ranks of Star Wars fans is filled with obsessive nerds. This is not really a bad thing. Nerds are good people because they’re our people.

And if you’re a Star Wars nerd chances are you know about Ralph McQuarrie. The uninitiated might not be aware, but McQuarrie was the concept artist for the original 1977 film. His sketches and paintings would set the tone for perhaps the biggest piece of pop culture we’ve ever witnessed.

Much of McQuarrie’s aesthetic was translated directly by George Lucas for A New Hope. However, there’s a swath of his designs that didn’t make the cut. Han Solo instead having skin with green scales, stormtroopers with light sabers, and Luke Skywalker originally as a female character named Luka Starkiller.

The Star Wars: Concept Trailer from The DAVE School on Vimeo.

Thanks to the students at the DAVE School of digital animation and visual effects in Orlando, Florida, we can now get a taste of McQuarrie’s original concept. Here you’ll see Luka Starkiller, a shinier C-3PO, a battle-ready R2-D2, and more. For the true Star Wars heads, this is like Christmas coming early.

Special heads up. Watch out for your favorite Wookie character Chewbacca who is more powerful and bestial in McQuarrie’s sketches. To quote Han Solo, let the Wookie win.

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