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What Does DEA Chief Rosenberg’s Resignation Mean For Marijuana?

Vince Sliwoski
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What Does DEA Chief Rosenberg’s Resignation Mean For Marijuana?

The Washington Post broke an article that acting Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) chief Chuck Rosenberg plans to resign within a week. Rosenberg is an Obama administration holdover going back to 2015, so the news was not totally unexpected.

President Trump will be tasked with selecting a successor, which will lead to a confirmation hearing process, which will lead to yet another public referendum over U.S. law and policy regarding cannabis and other controlled substances. Such a referendum occurred most recently during Jeff Sessions’ confirmation hearing, and had begun to ramp up again with Trump’s recent nomination of Terrible Tom Marino to the post of National Drug Control Policy Director (a.k.a., the “Drug Czar”).

The DEA Administrator and the Drug Czar are both important government posts, with the DEA Administrator wielding considerably more power. The Drug Czar coordinates anti-drug propaganda and advises the President and the DEA Administrator is head of the chief U.S. agency for Controlled Substances Act enforcement. The DEA is seated within the Department of Justice (DOJ), directly down line from Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Trump can, and probably will, appoint someone with retrograde views on marijuana to fill Rosenberg’s vacant seat. It would be a surprise if he did not. That said, cannabis supporters should not be sad to see Rosenberg go, as his views on cannabis were none too enlightened.

As Rosenberg packs up his office, here are a few of his greatest hits and misses:

  • May 2015. President Obama taps Rosenberg, a former FBI official, to lead DEA. This happened because DEA agents were participating in sex parties with prostitutes supplied by drug cartels in Colombia. Rosenberg was expected to focus less on marijuana than his predecessors. Cannabis boosters cheered.
  • November 2015. Rosenberg called medical marijuana “a joke.” Cannabis boosters collected 160,000 signatures demanding his resignation, and high-ranking officials called for his head, but Rosenberg survived.
  • December 2015. Rosenberg opined that marijuana is “probably not” as dangerous as heroin. This was an outlandish statement, but one that his predecessor refused to concede. A few days later Rosenberg caved to public ridicule, telling reporters that “heroin is clearly more dangerous than marijuana.” Cannabis boosters cheered, a bit.
  • December 2016. DEA issued a final administrative rule, establishing a controlled substances code for “marijuana extract.” That rule maintained marijuana, hemp and their derivatives as Schedule I substances. Cannabis boosters booed. And sued.
  • August 2016. DEA pledged to make it easier for private companies to grow and obtain marijuana for study. This was welcome news at the time, although nothing much has happened over the past 13 months, apparently due to DOJ stonewalling. But on August 11, 2016, at least, cannabis boosters cheered.
  • August 2016. DEA teamed up with a few other agencies to author the Statement of Principles on Industrial Hemp, which construed the 2014 Farm Bill to permit cultivation for “industrial purposes (fiber and seed)” and not to authorize sales “for the purpose of general commercial activity.” Cannabis boosters booed.
  • August 2017. Rosenberg instructed DEA agents to disregard President Trump’s call to be rougher with suspects, including those suspected of drug crimes. Cannabis boosters cheered.

The record shows Rosenberg was no friend of cannabis. Still, given the posture of recent Trump appointees regarding the plant, we may wish him back one day. Industry advocates should watch the pending developments closely.

Aside from Jeff Sessions, Trump’s next DEA appointee could have more impact on the cannabis industry than anyone in the current administration. We should know more very soon.

This story first appeared on Canna Law Blog.

 

So, Is Fentanyl-Laced Weed An Epidemic Or Just BS?

Terry Hacienda
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So, Is Fentanyl-Laced Weed An Epidemic Or Just BS?

Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid which can be up to 100 times more potent than morphine, is killing Americans at an alarming rate. A recent New York Times report claims that there has been a 540 percent increase in fentanyl-related deaths in the U.S. in the last three years.

But recent headlines suggesting that Americans are dying from marijuana laced with the deadly opiate are, well, fake news. Snopes, the self-described “internet reference source for urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation,” took a deep dive into the controversy and gave it a “false” rating.

The journalistic deception picked up a full head of steam back in June when Ohio Sen Rob Portman, a one-time marijuana smoker who transformed into reefer madness acolyte, and Hamilton County Coroner Dr. Lakshmi Sammarco held a press conference designed to scare the bejesus out of us cannabis consumers. “We have also seen fentanyl mixed with marijuana,” Sammarco claimed.

Following scare headlines and smug quotes from drug warriors, officials were forced to walk back the dramatic but untrue stories.

“We in Cincinnati have not, in fact, seen fentanyl-laced marijuana,” said Andrea Hatton, an administrator with the Hamilton County Coroner’s office. “There are no reported cases of it.” Not one county coroners in Ohio reported a single instance of a death caused by fentanyl-spiked weed.

Another example of journalistic malpractice occurred in August when a London, Ontario, story went viral. Public health officials bamboozled Canadians with a fiction about tainted weed. Again a correction was needed:

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story stated that fentanyl had been discovered in marijuana and other drugs in London, Ont.; in fact, the opioid was found in urine samples of people who said they used pot and heroin. This version has been updated for clarity.

UPDATE: Health Canada has confirmed it tested samples of marijuana suspected of containing fentanyl and concluded they were all free of the opioid.

Snopes concluded its report:

To be clear, fentanyl is an extremely potent and dangerous drug whose presence is increasing in many areas in the United States and unequivocally caused numerous overdose deaths. However, as no incident has actually confirmed the presence of marijuana laced specifically with fentanyl, we rank the claim that such a mixture is a real and increasing danger as false.

5 Versatile Types Of Marijuana For Your Medicine Cabinet

Seamus Read
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5 Versatile Types Of Marijuana For Your Medicine Cabinet

You keep Tylenol, Advil, Pepto Bismol, and the likes sitting around for whenever the need arises, but what about cannabis? Countless strains have been shown to provide relief from common complaints like pain, nausea, insomnia, migraines, and fatigue. Here are five versatile strains to ask your budtender about stocking your medicine cabinet with.

Freaking Out? Harlequin

What makes the sativa-dominant Harlequin unique is its 5:2 ratio of CBD (cannabidiol) to THC. The high-CBD content of the strain allows for relief from pain and moreover, the balance of it is a great reliever of anxiety.

“Without a doubt, what draws crowds to Harlequin is its ability to relax without sedation and to relieve without intoxication,” Leafly explains.

Related: A Doctor’s Take On Marijuana To Treat Anxiety And Depression

Harlequin is a great choice to keep around the house for those not looking to feel “high” and instead simply want to reap the mellowing and pain-relieving benefits of cannabis.

Headache? Blue Dream

The name “Blue Dream” was on everyone’s mind so much so that it became the #1 selling strain of 2015 in both Colorado and Washington. It’s been called the “Bayer aspirin of bud,” with fans of the strain touting relief from headaches, depression, fatigue, and more.

And if that wasn’t enough, Blue Dream is also the go-to choice for many creatives when they need to kickstart their artistic juices.

Tummy Upset? Platinum OG

The indica-dominant Platinum OG isn’t a strain to be taken lightly—keep this one around for the times that you need something a little stronger.

Platinum OG has been known to provide relief from nausea by offering a deep body relaxation and even serve as an appetite stimulant. Likewise, for many who have used the strain, the deep body relaxation is a great match for insomnia, putting them right to sleep.

Additionally, the strain has shown properties that offer pain relief among other medicinal properties.

Chronic Pain? Cannatonic

Like Harlequin, Cannatonic is unique for its ratio of pain relieving to psychoactive effect, but this one is much closer to 1:1 depending on the specific strain. The resulting effects are ideal for some, but a bit of a bust for others—you’ll skip out on most of the psychoactive “high” and go straight to the medicinal goodness.

Related: Study: Medical Marijuana Has Serious Anti-Arthritic Capabilities

For those who suffer from chronic pain like arthritis or other inflammatory diseases and need relief before starting their day, Cannatonic can be the perfect choice. Moreover, the strain has also been reported to help with symptoms of migraines and muscle spasms.

Stress? Use A-Train

Some strains you keep around for their physical relief properties and others you keep around for their mental relief properties … like A-Train. The classic hybrid is a total stress-melter that wipes away even the worst of days.

It’s a great one to share with a friend, too. Consider keeping some stashed away for when you need to get out of that funk with some serious laughter.

People Are Losing Their Minds Over This Decapitated Body In Tennessee

Amy Hansen
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People Are Losing Their Minds Over This Decapitated Body In Tennessee

Next time you see something that looks like it might be a scene straight out of a horror flick, check your calendar.

One long-time resident of Greene County, Tennessee got an upsetting visual as he drove by a home that had what looked like a guy stuck under a blood splattered garage door. But it was just an innocent prank, courtesy of Joseph Lovergive, who realized the extent of his life-like Halloween display after he got a visit from a few Sheriff’s deputies responding to a terrified neighbor who called 9-1-1.

“I thought it was somebody laying up there on the driveway,” Johnny Riddle (oh, the irony) told WJHL News.

https://www.facebook.com/GreeneCountyTNSO/photos/a.1549721878663630.1073741829.1549517892017362/1766559800313169/

That body in the driveway isn’t really a decapitated dude, it’s clothing stuffed with paper. But from afar, it looks like the real thing. “When the police came, they pulled the boot off to make sure it wasn’t a real person,” Lovergive told WJHL, revealing the blood was a combination of food coloring and hair gel.

And, yes, he started early with his decorations, but only because he was staging his home for a party. Riddle says he’s relieved, but you can tell, is still kind of pissed over the whole thing, if not just completely irritated. Watch the interview here.

Colorado Cannabis Farmer Creates Zero-Carbon Footprint Grow

Terry Hacienda
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Colorado Cannabis Farmer Creates Zero-Carbon Footprint Grow

Most cannabis consumers claim to be environmentalists. The American marijuana culture grew up with the ecology movement in the 197os and the ethos of sustainability and resource conservation. But as more and more studies of the severe environmental damage created by marijuana farming are published, cannabis consumers struggle to find a solution.

Colorado’s Rob and Linda Trotter, owners of TNT Ranch, may have found the answer. According to a report in the Vail Daily, the couple launched an operation called Pot Zero,  which the Trotters claim produces the most environmentally conscious marijuana products in Colorado and beyond. The Trotters say that their marijuana farm creates no carbon footprint.

For decades, one of the biggest environmental challenges for cannabis farmers is the amount of electricity and water required. According to a landmark 2011 study, indoor marijuana cultivation consumes enough electricity to power two million average-sized US homes, or about 1 percent of national power consumption. Outdoor grows, of course, need much less electricity, but even sun-grown weed takes massive amounts of natural resources, especially water.

The price tag? Researcher Evan Mills, a staff scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory who published the research independently from the lab, said it costs roughly $5 billion per year in national electricity. And that was six years ago. Mills estimated that the greenhouse gas emissions from grow operations was the equivalent of three million cars on the road.

A more recent report, a 2016 study by data-analysis firm New Frontier, confirmed Mills’ data: Marijuana production accounts for one percent of the nation’s electrical usage — equal to that used by 1.7 million average U.S. homes.

But the Trotters are teaming up with nature to create an environmentally friendly operation they hope will be a model for other conscientious growers. Their hydroelectric plant generates all the power the ranch needs and more. And, of course, they take full advantage of the sun.

The TNT Ranch, the Vail Daily reports, has been recognized twice for resource stewardship by the local Eagle County Soil Conservation District. In 2014, the TNT Ranch was named Large Acreage Conservationist of the Year.

“We are blessed with fantastic mountain loam soil, intense ultraviolet light because of our 8,200-foot elevation and water that comes directly to our property from a pristine, 12,500-foot mountain,” Rob Trotter told the paper. “When you bring all that together, the plants love it,” Rob Trotter said.

The couple’s ranch is 100 percent sustainable, zero carbon footprint and zero chemicals.

“We are very passionate about having the cleanest, greenest and most sustainable operation in Colorado. From an energy point of view, we’re sustainable. From an environmental point of view, we’re sustainable,” Rob Trotter said.

How To Make Your Own Crunchy Cannabis Cookie Butter

Danielle Guercio
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How To Make Your Own Crunchy Cannabis Cookie Butter

Cookie butter is more than addictive, it’s pure sin. Every oily, sweet, bite is better than the last, and it takes about a quarter or a jar to stop yourself. It’s the perfect vehicle for cannabis oil if you ask me! Biscoff cookies are commonly served as a snack, but ground into crumbly crunchy dust and lined with even more sugar and oil to bind it together makes for some seriously exciting medicating. Plus even though it’s dastardly levels of tasty, it’s easy to dose.

Mash it up with ice cream, add to milkshakes, ice a cake with it, get wild, because sometimes this spread turns into a full blown phase. I can usually control myself with sweets, but cookie butter is a new level of dolce. Make your own the original way, then branch out into any cookie.

Photos by Maria Penaloza

Crunchy​ ​Cookie​ ​butter

Makes 1lb of cookie butter, 3 THC per tablespoon, estimated

  • 1 package Biscoff cookies
  • 2 Tbsp cannabis infused coconut oil*
  • ½ cup plain coconut oil
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice (optional)
Photos by Maria Penaloza

For this recipe, if you want to use a food processor to get more of a spready-creamy texture, go for it! If you want a cookie chunk ratio, use a meat tenderizer or a drink muddler to get fine crumbs and chunks in the mix. Make sure you really break them down so you can still spread it even if it’s crunchy.

Photos by Maria Penaloza

After you have smashed the cookies, mix in the powdered sugar and spices if you’re using them. Just like a cake or typical baking application, you want to mix all of the dry ingredients well before adding anything wet.

Photos by Maria Penaloza

Mix the oils together in a separate container before drizzling into the dry ingredients. Use a spatula to mix thoroughly, doing some extra crunching with the muddler if you need to.

If you have used a food processor, you may need to add water or more oil to the mix to make it really spreadable, so be careful when storing it if you add water.

Photos by Maria Penaloza

Once everything is well mixed, you can dispense into clean containers, or start to eat by the spoonful. Storing in a big jar isn’t recommended if you’ll be spooning it directly into your mouth, so use some smaller jars or only clean spoons each dip!

*Cannabis​ ​Coconut​ ​Oil

Decarboxylate 3.5g of finely ground cannabis at 225 degrees for 20 minutes in a tightly sealed, oven safe container. Put cannabis in lidded mason jar or vacuum sealed bag with cannabis and ½ cup coconut oil. Heat in water bath just under boiling for at least 1 hour. Strain and chill to use in recipes.

Now that you know there’s a low dose per spoonful, you can tread with caution or dive into the jar head first if you need or prefer. The gingerbread-ish zip of the cookies will keep you coming back dose after dose, so this is a great party favor or gift for a special person.

Photos: Maria Penaloza

This Rapper Is Crowdfunding To Prove The World Is Flat

Amy Hansen
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This Rapper Is Crowdfunding To Prove The World Is Flat

B.o.B. is so sure the world is flat, that he’s launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise enough money to prove he’s right and we’re all just a bunch of dummies who fell for a government hoax.

Called “Show Bob The Curve,” the campaign has only raised about $2,000 of its $10 Million goal (you read that correctly). The rapper says he needs that money to “purchase and launch multiple satellites into space.”

He’s also busy on Twitter retweeting flat earth conspiracies, including the theory that NASA doesn’t really send people to space, that “astronauts” are just actors with elaborate props.

He also seems to support the idea that climate change is a hoax and that recent hurricanes have been intentionally programmed to target immigrants.

Where were we. Oh, right. B.o.B. now wants people to voluntarily give him millions of dollars so he can prove what science has already debunked: the earth is not a spinning globe here for your dumb fact-based truths.

B.o.B. has been a flat-earth advocate for years, pointing to the horizon as evidence. He tweeted: “How can you explain the horizon always being at eye level?” Them are fighting words for astrophysicist and Cosmos host, Neil deGrasse Tyson.

Good luck with your fundraising goals, B.o.B. You might want to donate that money to your local schools.

Gossip: Kim Kardashian On Family’s Pregnancy Trifecta; Khloe Kardashian Is Four Months Along

Naughty Gossip
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Gossip: Kim Kardashian On Family’s Pregnancy Trifecta; Khloe Kardashian Is Four Months Along

In the past week, multiple outlets have confirmed that both Kylie Jenner and Khloe Kardashian are pregnant, while Kim Kardashian has reportedly found a surrogate for her third child with husband Kanye West.

The three sisters have yet to confirm or deny the rumors (mastermind Kris Jenner has also been unusually opaque about possible new grandchildren), but now Kim is breaking her silence about the rumors.

“Let me just say this,” she wrote. “People who supposedly work with us ‘confirming’ details they know nothing about! Especially when we haven’t even communicated with them SMH.”

Khloe Kardashian Is About Four Months Along in Her Pregnancy

Getting ready for baby! Khloe Kardashian is about four months along in her pregnancy, multiple sources confirm to Us Weekly.

Us Weekly exclusively revealed on Tuesday, September 26 that Kardashian, 33, and boyfriend Tristan Thompson are expecting their first child together. The Good American designer joked on the season 13 finale of “KUWTK” in June that Thompson, who she has been dating since September 2016, would like to have enough children to start his own basketball team. “He wants to have, like, five or six kids with me, and that’s lovely,” she said of the Cleveland Cavaliers center. “We could start at one and then grow from there. But now, knowing I’m not on birth control, it’s really scary. It’s like a really big step.”

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

4 Great Whiskeys For A Dinner Party

Margarett Waterbury
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4 Great Whiskeys For A Dinner Party

Dinner parties offer a wonderful setting to share a special whiskey, but unless you’re hosting your local whiskey club, it’s probably not the right moment to bust out something super-nerdy or rare. You want something that will appeal to everybody, avid spirits fans and neophytes alike, and that’s fancy enough to feel special but not so fancy that you cringe as your college friend’s new spouse free-pours three ounces into an unwashed wine glass, traces of Syrah still clinging to its sides. Here are 4 great whiskeys for a a dinner party.

Here are my time-tested, proven suggestions for crowd-pleasing whiskeys to plunk down on the table after the plates are cleared and before the babysitters need to be relieved.

Oban14YO

Oban 14-Year-Old

Oban 14-Year-Old is quickly climbing the ranks of my favorite all-purpose single malts. It’s the best of both worlds. It has high-toned peat and opulent, vanilla-soaked oak. It’s rich yet nuanced, sweet yet smoky, and interesting without being in the least bit challenging. It also pairs beautifully with chocolate – just saying.

George Dickel Barrel Select

This small batch release from George Dickel is aged between 10 and 12 years, right in the sweet spot for American whiskey. Balanced, mellow, and with that signature George Dickel minerality, this is a lovely bottle to share with friends who might not know just how delicious Dickel can be.

Basil Hayden’s

Everybody loves bourbon, but not everybody loves the 120+ proof cask strength stuff that’s so popular these days. Basil Hayden’s is a gentler whiskey from Jim Beam that still manages to hang on to all those fruity, spicy characteristics that make American whiskey so enjoyable. Plus, it comes wearing a fun little paper vest.

Redbreast 12-Year-Old

I cringe from the word “smooth” used to describe whiskey—what does such a thing mean? Has anybody ever tasted a gritty whiskey?—but once in a while, the adjective does come to mind. Redbreast 12-Year-Old is silky, sweet, supple, and downright seductive, a seamless homage to the mellow flavors of malted barley and integrated oak. I won’t call it “smooth,” but your guests almost certainly will.

This article originally appeared on The Whiskey Wash.

Meet The Man Who Created Pepper X, The World’s Hottest Pepper

Amy Hansen
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Meet The Man Who Created Pepper X, The World’s Hottest Pepper

Remember back when the ghost pepper had everyone freaking out like it was hell in food form?

That was cute.

Today, there’s a new reigning terror in town and it goes by the name of Pepper X. It surpasses the Carolina Reaper (an average of 1.9 million Scovilles) and the Dragon’s Breath (2.4 million Scovilles) as the world’s hottest pepper clocking in at 3.18 million Scovilles. If that wasn’t terrifying enough, Hot Ones, known for their hot sauce challenges, has created a muthereffing sauce out of these peppers.

It’s called The Last Dab, and it just may be, if you decide to consume this stuff.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYk_oqwnM2v

Ed Currie, founder of PuckerButt Pepper Company, says Pepper X is three times hotter than any of the other peppers that are available commercially.

It’s twice as hot as the Reaper, so this is a dangerous pepper. We’ve been breeding it out since…it’s been about 10 years now. When we started the cross (breeding), there were two peppers that I really loved the flavor of, but neither of them were going to be hot enough for my taste—I’m an idiot. It’s just gotten hotter and hotter and we’re averaging now about 3.18 million (Scoville units) on this one.

As the only sauce in the world containing Pepper X, The Last Dab is hard to keep in stock because the pepper is in short supply.

You can see the entire interview with Currie below. By the way, Pepper X is a placeholder for the eventual permanent name. Rosemary’s Baby has a nice ring to it.

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