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Gossip: Sam Smith Comes Out As Gender-Nonbinary; Which Jailed Married Man Now Has Gay Lover?

Naughty Gossip
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Gossip: Sam Smith Comes Out As Gender-Nonbinary; Which Jailed Married Man Now Has Gay Lover?

Sam Smith is the latest celebrity to come out as genderqueer, Attitude reports.

In a new interview with The Sunday Times, Smith replied “No” when asked if he feels like a cisgender man. “I don’t know what the title would be, but I feel just as much woman as I am man,” he elaborated.

The 25-year-old singer-songwriter also discusses his love of dressing in drag, revealing that he hits up the Australian drag shop House of Priscilla whenever he’s in Sydney. “Oh, my god, I just buy everything—heels, dresses,” he says. “We have a great time.”

Which Jailed Married Man Now Has Gay Lover?

This male celebrity seemed to be happily married with children before he entered jail. But now that he is behind bars, he has hooked up with a sweet younger gay lover.

His wife does not visit the prison very often because she knows what is going on. At first she thought it was just gay prison sex but now it has turned emotional. The two men have developed very real feelings for each other.

Love the fresh dirt we bring over daily from Naughty Gossip? Let us know in the comments!

5 Cannabis Stocks We’re Watching Today: October 23rd, 2017

Steven Lachard
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5 Cannabis Stocks We’re Watching Today: October 23rd, 2017

Out of over 200 marijuana stocks, there’s 5 that we’re going to be watching as the markets open due to breaking news out this morning.

Here’s five cannabis stocks to watch today including Aphria Inc. (TSX:APH) (OTC:APHQF) and more.

Aphria Inc. (TSX:APH) (OTC:APHQF)

This morning, Aphria Inc. announced that company executives met with representatives of the TSX on Friday to discuss the exchange’s recent guidance on Section 306, Section 325 and Part VII of the TSX Company Manual. Aphria is pleased that TSX representatives responded positively to its proactive efforts to work with the exchange in light of this recent guidance.

Aurora Cannabis Inc. (TSX:ACB) (OTC:ACBFF)

This morning, in conjunction with Radient Technologies Inc., Aurora Cannabis Inc. announced that further to the companies’ joint press release on June 5, 2017, both parties have agreed to a 17-day extension, through November 6, 2017, on the 140-day term under which Aurora was granted certain exclusive rights to negotiate with Radient in respect to the acquisition of certain exclusive rights to use Radient’s technology and processes.

Canopy Growth Corp. (TSX:WEED) (OTC:TWMJF)

This morning, Canopy Growth Corporation’s wholly-owned Tweed and DNA Holding LLC announced the renewal and expansion of their partnership through to October 2022. Together they are committed to bringing the best possible cannabis to Canada. Tweed and DNA’s collaboration sees DNA’s world-renowned cannabis genetics exclusively grown and sold in Canada by Tweed.

Radient Technologies Inc. (TSXV:RTI) (OTC:RDDTF)

This morning, in conjunction with Aurora Cannabis Inc., Radient Technologies Inc. announced that further to the companies’ joint press release on June 5, 2017, both parties have agreed to a 17-day extension, through November 6, 2017, on the 140-day term under which Aurora was granted certain exclusive rights to negotiate with Radient in respect to the acquisition of certain exclusive rights to use Radient’s technology and processes.

Stony Hill Corp. (OTC:STNY)

This evening, Stony Hill Corp. is having a launch party in Los Angeles to celebrate the launch of its Stony Hill CBD line of hemp-derived cannabidiol infused products. With the CBD market estimated to grow to a $2.1 billion market in consumer sales by 2020 with $450 million of those sales coming from hemp-based sources, this is a large market that the company is tapping into.

This story originally appeared on The Daily Marijuana Observer. You can connect with them on social media via Facebook, Twitter, StockTwits, YouTube, and Instagram.

Cannabis Consumption: Demographic Reports For October 2017

Kent Gruetzmacher
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Cannabis Consumption: Demographic Reports For October 2017

Legal marijuana is becoming big business—with this maturation of the marketplace, business analysts are attempting to understand consumer demographics and purchasing habits. Bottom line: the entire cannabis industry—with all of its ancillary products and start-up companies—is totally dependent upon the successful cultivation and subsequent sale of marijuana. As such, sales drive revenues, these revenues, in turn, keep businesses operating. Consequently, it is essential for cannabis industry entrepreneurs to understand exactly where revenues are being generated so they can position their business accordingly.

The Fresh Toast partners with Headset, a Washington State cannabis analytics firm, to gain some insight into the purchasing habits of the modern cannabis consumer. Headset provided a detailed report discussing point of sale purchases at cannabis dispensaries for various marijuana products across Washington State throughout 2016-17.

While Headset’s findings are accurate with their sample population, there numbers can still be somewhat askew do to a lack of information on black market consumption. Also, consumption patterns in states without recreational and medical marijuana programs are probably much different than those presented here—due mostly to the fact that cannabis users in these locales have far less purchasing options than those in legal arenas of the industry.

Age Demographics

In their market research concerning age demographics, Headset divided the cannabis consumer base into three categories: millennials, Generation X, and baby boomers. Millennials currently consume more cannabis than any other generation, as they account for approximately 50 percent of all dispensary sales in Washington State the last two years. Following behind the millennials is Generation X with approximately 35 percent of sales and finally baby boomers with around 15 percent of sales. There are a variety of influences on these results, namely that young people are still more likely to smoke marijuana than older generations. Moreover, millennials are probably far more accustomed to purchasing sheik, branded cannabis products at a dispensary—while older generations could very well continue to procure marijuana from alternative sources.

Purchasing Habits

Headset also provided some valuable insight into the purchasing habits of the aforementioned demographics, adding the “silent generation” (ages 76+) to their findings. For every age demographic featured in the study, flowers far outsold all other cannabis products, holding at least 58 percent of the market share across the board. Looking more in-depth at flower sales, hybrid strains easily outsold pure Sativa, Indica, or CBD strains with a minimum of 46 percent of the market share in all generations. However, these number could reflect necessity, not choice, as flower selections at cannabis dispensaries are almost always dominated by hybrids.

Perhaps the most interesting findings of the Headset report have to do with a comparison between the purchasing habits of age demographics concerning other cannabis products. For example, millennials purchased almost twice the amount of concentrates as any other generation. This finding is probably a reflection of young people’s tendency to be swayed by trends—in this case “dabbing.” Looking at baby boomers and the silent generation, these older consumers purchased far more cannabis-infused topical products than their younger counterparts. For these elder marijuana users, it is evident that medical application—as opposed to recreational use—is the primary priority in their consumption habits.

Kent Gruetzmacher M.F.A. is a Colorado based freelance writer and the Director of Business Development at Mac & Fulton Talent Partners (www.mandfconsultants.com), a recruiting firm dedicated to the indoor gardening and cannabis space. He is interested in utilizing his M.A. in the Humanities to critically explore the many cultural and business facets of this youthful, emergent industry by way of his entrepreneurial projects.

Are Illinois Democrats Poised To Legalize Recreational Cannabis?

Mary Schumacher
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Are Illinois Democrats Poised To Legalize Recreational Cannabis?

When Illinois democrats got up to debate Wednesday on who is to become the next governor, legalizing cannabis was a hot issue. Not whether to legalize it, but who wanted to legalize it the most. One candidate even called for full decriminalization.

So, if Illinois goes blue in 2018, there’s a great chance that they’ll be among the next few rounds of states to go green, too.

This is just another bit of proof in the pudding that cannabis is no longer taboo, in fact, it’s getting to be pretty much mainstream. Even Kathy Bates tried her hand at pot comedy in the Netflix sitcom “Disjointed.” There are examples everywhere, perhaps the most convincing the 29 states plus the District of Columbia going the green route.

This shift in not only policy, but outlook is not to be taken lightly. The War on Drugs has claimed many lives, including in the way of incarceration, and ingesting cannabis had naught to do with any of the deaths and quite a bit to do with the incarcerations.

In 2016, a Gallup Poll showed 60 percent of Americans in favor of legalization. It’s hard to get 60 percent of our nation to agree on most politicized issues out there, but especially something so sensitive as a plant that’s been labeled a drug and scheduled as being a high potential for abuse and with no medical benefits.

In 2018, five states are primed to go the legal road and as more legislation is introduced, more states are going to be joining the bandwagon. It only makes sense.

All the fears over all the years that legalization would bring devastation to our country have been debunked and studies show that after Colorado went legal, youth usage did not go up, neither did traffic fatalities. And in Washington, crime went down post-legalization.

In what was not a surprise to the cannabis community, but perhaps to its opponents, cannabis has also shown itself to be a warrior in the opioid epidemic. Cannabis is known to be a treatment for chronic pain and studies show that people reduce and even stop their opiate use when also utilizing cannabis. Many doctors balk at the idea of mixing medicines, even to the betterment of their patients, but the times are changing and cannabis is winning.

Will it win in Illinois? Well, if it does, Illinois would be the winner. With fiscal concerns that would be helped by cannabis taxes and revenues and the fewer arrests, trials and incarcerations to deal with and spend money on, we hope the answer is yes.

Is California Really Ready For Legal Marijuana?

Habib Bentaleb
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Is California Really Ready For Legal Marijuana?

Though some of California’s biggest population centers will take their time before enacting adult use cannabis ordinances, we envision some of the more sparsely populated (and tax-starved) California jurisdictions will be the first to move into the adult use cannabis marketplace.

Our California cannabis lawyers are constantly asked how big sales and tax revenues will be in California once adult use cannabis becomes legal there. With recent reports of increased sales in Colorado and Nevada, everyone is expecting California – with its population of nearly 40 million people – to dwarf the sales of other adult use cannabis states. Many see California sales exceeding Colorado and Washington sales (together!) by at least ten times. To say our law firm is bullish on California would be an understatement; we literally cannot find good lawyers fast enough for our two California offices (Los Angeles and San Francisco).

When Californians voted for the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (a/k/a AUMA or Prop 64), you could smell the enthusiasm. Our California offices were deluged with a flood of investors looking to invest in California cannabis businesses. Then Governor Brown and the California legislature removed Prop 64’s in-state residency requirement with the enactment of the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (a/k/a MAUCRSA or SB 94) this past June. With residency requirements removed, my firm saw a significant increase in interest from clients outside California seeking to obtain cannabis business licenses in the Golden State.

Unfortunately, local legislators in California’s cities and counties have not kept pace with the enthusiasm on the business side. Prior to SB 94, the legal cannabis landscape consisted of California jurisdictions focused on their medical cannabis ordinances in step with the Medical Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act of 2015(MCRSA). The MCRSA was California’s first attempt at establishing a statewide regulatory and licensing regime. The MCRSA also allowed medical cannabis businesses to operate as for-profit businesses starting in 2018.

With most local jurisdictions playing catch-up with the MCRSA, it’s unlikely Californians will be able to purchase recreational cannabis on January 01, 2018. That’s because most California cities and counties are waiting on the state’s main cannabis regulatory agencies – the Bureau of Cannabis Control, the Department of Food and Agriculture, and the Department of Public Health – to publish their emergency regulations before they enact their own adult use cannabis ordinances. The emergency regulations should be released in mid to late November and the Bureau of Cannabis Control has stated that cannabis businesses will be able to apply for temporary permits online in December.

Though it might take a little longer than expected before adult use cannabis sales in California become commonplace, we are seeing local regulators moving in the right direction. In our Cannabis Countdown series, we keep our readers apprised of cannabis ordinance developments on the local level and the below is an updated snapshot of what’s going on across the state regarding adult-use commercial cannabis activities:

Los Angeles: 

On March 07, 2017, Los Angeles residents came out in full force and voted for Proposition M, a much-needed effort at clearing up Los Angeles’s previously confusing, complicated, and unfriendly position towards medical cannabis businesses. On June 8th of this year, the Los Angeles City Council released draft requirements for commercial cannabis activities – which we covered here. After the release of these draft requirements, there was a 60-day comment period and on September 22nd, the City Council revised the draft requirements – which we covered extensively here. On September 25th the City Council Rules Committee requested the Los Angeles City Attorney prepare and present a draft ordinance addressing the changes made in the revised draft regulations. Though Los Angeles will authorize seed to sale license types (indoor cultivation, non-volatile and volatile manufacturing, distribution, and retail) it’s unlikely it will have an adult use cannabis permitting process in place by the start of 2018.

San Francisco: 

The city of San Francisco (where I am located) proposed draft cannabis legislation on September 26th of this year. The proposed legislation requires creating an equity program, authorizes the issuance of temporary local licenses for medical cannabis businesses, and will have seed to sale license types (including the microbusiness license). It also allows for medical and adult use cannabis licenses, but adult use licenses won’t be issued until the equity program is in place. The ordinance does not cap the number of permits to be issued citywide, nor does it limit the number of licenses a person can hold – except that testing licensees cannot hold other cannabis licenses. However at a recent stakeholder meeting I attended, it was discussed that the Board of Supervisors (BOS) may revisit the issue of licensing caps (at the individual applicant and citywide level). It’s paramount that cannabis supporters stay politically active and fight complacency — don’t let what happened in San Luis Obispo happen in your city. San Francisco’s Office of Cannabis is to provide the BOS with an equity report, a medicinal access report, and a proposed fee schedule by November 1st of this year. Much like Los Angeles, San Francisco has proposed a cannabis-friendly ordinance that likely will not be ready for 2018.

Humboldt County: 

As part of the famed Emerald Triangle, Humboldt County is a cannabis business-friendly jurisdiction. On September 7th, Humboldt County’s Planning and Building Department released a draft cannabis ordinance that provides for the following:

  • Licenses all seed to sale commercial activities (including non-volatile and volatile manufacturing);
  • Allows farm-based retail sales, subject to receiving a retailer’s license from the state (we’ll have to see what the Bureau of Cannabis Control has to say about that);
  • Authorizes temporary special events for cannabis sales and consumption;
  • Allows on-site consumption for retailers and microbusinesses (for persons 21 years of age and older); and
  • Allows for cannabis tours and cannabis farm stays.

This proposed ordinance cements Humboldt’s reputation as a place that thinks outside the box when it comes to attracting cannabis businesses. Humboldt’s proposed ordinance was up for review and public comment on October 18 and we expect its enactment by early December. We are not sure whether Humboldt will allow current medical cannabis businesses to convert over to adult use and for-profit enterprises before January 01, 2018.

Though some of California’s biggest population centers will take their time before enacting adult use cannabis ordinances, we envision some of the more sparsely populated (and tax-starved) California jurisdictions will be the first to move into the adult use cannabis marketplace.

We will be sure to keep you posted on new developments in our Cannabis Countdown series.

Habib Bentleb is an attorney at Harris Bricken, a law firm with lawyers in Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Barcelona, and Beijing. This story was originally published on the Canna Law Blog. 

Digest This: Medical Marijuana May Help Sufferers Of Gastritis

Trey Reckling
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Digest This: Medical Marijuana May Help Sufferers Of Gastritis

Add gastritis to the growing list of conditions marijuana may positively impact.

Having a healthy digestive system and being able to absorb nutrients are things that many people take for granted. For people with acute or chronic gastritis, life is not so simple. Gastritis is a condition that many in the public may not fully understand. For those at its mercy, it can be a life altering impairment able to dramatically reduce every day quality of life.

A quick look at some common symptoms helps shed light on why it can be so painful and disturbing:

  • Nausea and chronic upset stomach
  • Indigestion
  • Vomiting
  • Hiccups
  • Loss of appetite
  • Bloating of the abdomen
  • Vomiting blood
  • Black stools

Gastritis, on its most basic level, is inflammation of the lining of the stomach. Glands exist in the lining that produce stomach acid and an enzyme called pepsin. Together, they digest food and proteins. A thick layer of mucous usually protects the stomach tissue from this chemical reaction.

Excessive alcohol consumption, stress and repeated use of NSAID medicines like Tylenol, aspirin and other anti-inflammatory drugs can cause gastritis. It can also be caused naturally by an infection in the stomach called Helicobacter pylori, (H. pylori). Occasionally, it can be caused by an autoimmune reaction causing the body to attack the stomach lining. 

Treating gastritis is often includes reduction of spicy, acidic foods and alcohol, use of antacid medications or antibiotics when the cause is infection. They are also treated by histamine blockers with well-known names like Pepcid, Tagament and Zantac.

There is growing body of knowledge about the endocannabinoid system, the endogenous system regulator that receives innate (endocannabinoids) and marijuana-produced (phytocannabinoids) compounds. These cannabinoids are received in our bodies through what are known as our CB1 and CB2 receptors. They may be the keys to a different therapeutic approach.

Scientists have shown that activating the CB1 receptors with cannabinoids reduces gastric acid secretion and gastric motor activity while also reducing lesions in the important protective mucous lining in the stomach. Cannabis also helps protect against gastrointestinal damage and inflammation. If this wasn’t enough, it also reduces abdominal pain and diarrhea and improves appetite. 

Encouraged researchers from Austria and Germany have recently stated that, “it was not surprising to discover that the GI tract accommodates and expresses all the components of the ECS (the endocannabinoid system).” Rodent studies looking at this question of efficacy have concluded, “the endocannabinoid system conveys protection to the GI tract (e.g. from inflammation and abnormally high gastric and enteric secretions.”

Anecdotal stories from encouraged patients back up this claim, but further testing on humans and continued research into efficacy are needed. But don’t bet against marijuana for the GI tract and gastritis. The potential is great for it to help people with a wide variety of conditions that affect the gut. Investors and researchers are taking note. More research is currently being conducted. Stay tuned.

How Marijuana Saved This Small Colorado Town From Ruin

Sam Jones
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How Marijuana Saved This Small Colorado Town From Ruin

Just seven years ago, the town of Sedgwick, Colorado was about to give up completely.

With the economy struggling and weeds growing out of abandoned gutters, the place was like a ghost town. The residents held a meeting to decide whether to incorporate their town.

But then, things started to change. The town passed a medical marijuana dispensary ordinance in 2010. The state’s voters approved Colorado Amendment 64, legalizing possession and growing pot for recreational use. They allowed the Sedgwick Alternative Relief to expand into the recreational trade.

At first, older residents were skeptical and critical of marijuana’s place in their beloved town. But as dispensaries created jobs and tax revenue went up, there was no denying that legal weed helped save Sedgwick. It’s even created tourism and return visitor revenue.

The Gazette reports:

Sedgwick, a town that grew out of wheat and sugar beet farming, incorporated in 1908. It recently began building a museum on Main Avenue to celebrate its history and the history of the West. And town officials and business owners hope to expand on Sedgwick’s annual Harvest Festival and car show and add more events to attract visitors. But most important, Sedgwick residents want to grow the burg into a place where people will raise a family and stay. “We’re not looking for giant growth,” Owens said. “But we’re looking to keep our young people here and have a place where they can thrive.”

They’ve come far and they’re not done growing yet: At the end of 2016, Sedgwick passed an ordinance repealing its previous retail marijuana regulations. They’ll also expand to allow even more cultivation facilities.

Read the whole inspiring success story of Sedgwick at The Gazette.

Cannabis Just Became A Hot Issue In Texas Congressional Race

Terry Hacienda
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Cannabis Just Became A Hot Issue In Texas Congressional Race

It’s a sign of the times deep in the heart of Texas. A prominent pro-legalization congressman is taking on a fellow House member with an old-school political weapon: Billboards.

Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) will be paying to place billboards in Texas in an effort to unseat Congressman Pete Sessions (R-Texas), who also is the chair of the House Rules Committee.

According to reporter Tom Angell at Marijuana Moment, Blumenauer spoke at a cannabis industry event earlier this week and said:

“I’ve been working to try and give you a better Congress. One of the other things we are doing is not just helping friends, but to help people who are against us find something else to do with their time.”

As Angell notes in his report, Sessions is a longtime drug warrior. Earlier this year, Sessions blocked a bill that would have allowed the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to provide veterans with medical marijuana. On average, 22 veterans commit suicide each day and the death rate from opioid overdoses among V.A. patients is nearly double the national average. “It’s essential that veterans be allowed to access this as a treatment if it’s legal in their state,” Blumenauer said.

“We’re going to be putting up some billboards in Pete Sessions’ district. It’s going to feature a veteran and ask the question why Pete Sessions doesn’t want him to have access to his medicine,” Blumenauer said. “We’re going to make the point that there are consequences. This is not a free vote. People are going to take a position one way or another. And if they are going to be part of an effort to deny people access to medicine that can be transformational … this is going to be part of the political landscape this year.”

Blumenauer said the coast of the billboards will come from a political action committee, called the Cannabis Fund. The PAC will also fund other candidates who want to reform marijuana laws. “I don’t care where they are, who they are, what the district is,” he said. “There is part of the agenda that you care about that they ought to be able to support.

Ellen Degeneres Addresses Marijuana Smoking Rumors

Brendan Bures
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Ellen Degeneres Addresses Marijuana Smoking Rumors

Ellen DeGeneres certainly love to tease anyone and everyone. Always done in a loving manner, the comedian gets her well-earned laughs through lighthearted pranks and poking fun at anything resembling pomposity or pretension. If you’ve the telecasts of her hosting the Oscars, you understand what I’m discussing here.

So when Civilized, a well-run cannabis lifestyle publication, published a video titled “Does Ellen Smoke Weed?” you could predict the comedian would take notice. During her daytime TV show, Ellen properly answered the question.

The Civilized video uses circumstantial evidence from Ellen’s show and other musings she’s said over the years to determine if she smokes weed. This, by the way, is something other marijuana websites do to attract your traffic whenever you type into search engines “Does [Insert celebrity here] smoke weed?” I’m not faulting anyone here—everyone needs to accrue traffic somehow—and also give credit to Civilized for assembling an aesthetically-pleasing video package for their audience.

Anyways, here’s example of Ellen responding to the claims.

So their first piece of evidence is that I sold merchandise to marijuana users on 420. That doesn’t make me a smoker, it makes me a smart business-lady.

You’re never too high to buy Ellen underwear.

To avoid any confusion, Ellen did state plainly that she doesn’t smoke weed. The whole clip is worth your time because, as always, Ellen will make you laugh.

Can You Guess What The Unhealthiest Drink At Starbucks Is?

Amy Hansen
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Can You Guess What The Unhealthiest Drink At Starbucks Is?

Next time you want to grab a coffee at Starbucks, make sure you’re not also grabbing a meal’s worth of calories. Because fall is one of Starbucks’ busiest seasons (we have the PSL to thank for this), here’s a polite warming to make sure you’re still alive by Christmas.

There are many junk food drinks on the Starbucks menu, but one outdoes the rest. Here’s a few hints: It was once a “secret menu item” that became a regular drink on the Starbucks menu in 2015. A grande size (16 oz) contains more than 500 calories, 16 grams of fat and a day’s worth of sugar (about 85 grams). If you order a pastry with this drink, you should consider changing your Facebook status to “It’s Complicated” before you start shacking up with hospital staff full-time. The drink in question? The Cinnamon Roll Frappuccino.

Unlike an iced coffee, a Frappuccino is more like a coffee milkshake made with a pre-mixed base (sugar), syrups (sugar), sauces (sugar) and usually topped with  whipped cream (sugar). They’re freaking delicious, but also incredibly unhealthy, unless you’re Buddy the Elf.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYwamBIAJf0

By comparison, a grande Red Velvet Cake Frappuccino, which sounds like it would be even worse, contains 480 calories, 18 grams of fat, and 70 grams of sugar, according to CheatSheet.com. A grande White Chocolate Mocha is a near equal offender clocking in at 430-calories and 18 grams of fat.

A few tips to keep the flavor but lighten the load: order skim milk or better yet, soy milk, which is creamier. Skip the whip. And order a small. Or if you want to go the other route, a grande Coffee Light Frappucino only has 110 calories (and zero fat). And an iced grande Cinnamon Dolce latte has even less calories (plus, most stores offer a sugar free Cinnamon Dolce syrup).

But let’s be real. The real prize in any Starbucks coffee drink is the espresso, and that’s zero calories. Get yourself a double shot on ice and call it good. Maybe a little jittery, but good.

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