Loopr, a Denver-based bus service designed specifically for cannabis consumers, wants to bring its “Puff Bus” experience to Boston. The company offers a “mobile cannabis lounge” in which cannabis lovers can enjoy the herb as the bus tours local dispensaries, hotels and bars.
According to the company’s website, the service is hoping to expand to Las Vegas, Los Angeles and “wherever else the American people choose to end prohibition.” In Boston Herald report, Loopr CEO Bryan Spatz said:
“Because Massachusetts is on a less aggressive schedule to launch recreational sales, we are not as far along in our planning there. I intend to begin reaching out to state and local officials to discuss our model and make sure we can bring the same safe, reliable transportation service that doubles as mobile cannabis lounges to Massachusetts as we have in Denver now and hopefully LA & LV in early 2018.”
On its website, Loopr boasts: “Besides using the biggest, baddest party buses loaded full of custom features for the ultimate cannabis experience, Loopr offers a unique network with curated routes that is fun, affordable and convenient for your transportation needs. … Aboard the bus, Loopr offers the opportunity to consume cannabis any way you choose in an ultra-comfortable multimedia environment with curated music videos and laser light shows stimulating the senses.”
Riders must first download the Loopr app and then purchase passes good for one day, three days, one week or one month. Once you have registered, the bus becomes your rolling social cannabis club. The bus makes scheduled, planned routes throughout the town.
Riders can’t buy marijuana while on the bus, but the Loopr has partnered with select on-the-route dispensaries that offer riders discounts on their choice products. Food and non-alcoholic beverages are available for sale inside the bus.
There is a lot of confusion among cannabis consumers about CBD found in industrial hemp. Is it the same as medicinal marijuana? Will I flunk a drug test if I consume hemp-based CBD?
These questions and others are addressed here by Project CBD:
Does it matter if CBD is extracted from cannabis or industrial hemp?
We recommend CBD-rich products made using only organic, whole plant cannabis because this offers the best safety profile and superior medicinal benefits. CBD products derived from industrial hemp potentially have several potential problems: Industrial hemp typically contains far less cannabidiol than CBD-rich cannabis strains, so a huge amount of industrial hemp is required to extract a small amount of CBD. This raises the risk of contaminants as hemp is a “bio-accumulator,” meaning the plant naturally draws toxins from the soil. Additionally, hemp-derived CBD and refined ‘pure’ CBD powder lack critical medicinal terpenes and secondary cannabinoids found in cannabis oil. These compounds interact with CBD and THC to enhance their medicinal benefits.
I have heard that CBD is the dominant cannabinoid in hemp plants. Can I just smoke or ingest hemp or ditch weed to get the healing effects of CBD?
It is true that hemp fiber or seed strains will be relatively high in CBD compared to THC, but the overall cannabinoid content of industrial hemp will probably be low. Industrial Hemp is genetically bred to produce fiber for various products or seed for omega oil and nutritional supplements. Industrial hemp is generally not bred for resin production. Without selective breeding for CBD content, CBD yields from hemp are likely to be low.
Will I flunk a drug test if I medicate with CBD-rich cannabis?
Yes, you may fail a drug test even if you experience no mood-altering affects from your CBD-rich medicine. Drug tests are geared toward identifying THC, not CBD or another cannabinoid. If one medicates with CBD-rich cannabis that has a small amount of THC, the THC may register on the drug test.
If CBD is non-psychoactive, does that mean it is legal?
Cannabidiol and all other plant cannabinoids are Schedule I drugs in the US (per code 7372). So, technically, CBD is forbidden in any form (as an isolate or plant-based derivitive) in the states despite its lack of addictive potential and strong safety profile. In other words, although CBD is not psychoactive, it is still illegal in the eyes of the federal government. That said, there are exceptions. American scientists with a DEA license in some cases are permitted to experiment with pure synthetic CBD.
Some online businesses falsely claim that CBD oil derived from industrial hemp grown abroad is legal in all 50 U.S. states, as long as the THC content of this oil is less than .3 percent (in accordance with federal rules regarding industrial hemp products). Currently, it’s against federal law to use hemp leaves and flowers to make drug products. Hemp oil entrepreneurs attempt to sidestep this legal hurdle by claiming they extract CBD only from hemp stalk before importing it to the United States, a grey area activity at best. Although the FDA has issued warning letters against some CBD hemp oil companies for making false claims about their products, thus far the federal government has not take action to halt these illegal business operations. The situation is different in Europe, where CBD is not a controlled substance.
On Wednesday Attorney General Jeff Sessions reminded us that federal laws still stand and marijuana is still illegal, despite voter-approved pro-marijuana state laws. While revealing record breaking seizures of narcotics by the Coast Guard in fiscal 2017, Sessions responded to a reporter’s question about pot, saying, “I’ve never felt we should legalize marijuana,” he continued to say, “It doesn’t strike me that the country would be better if it’s being sold at every street corner.” He also added that medical groups were opposed to cannabis and federal law still prohibits it.
The top priorities for Sessions have been and will likely remain illegal immigration, violent crimes and, of course, drugs. It remains a mystery, however, how his feelings and rhetoric will affect states that have gone the legal route. All his hinting is frustrating, but action would be catastrophic to the cannabis community, patients across the nation and local economies.
The Cole Memo was a document produced by former Deputy Attorney General James Cole, which outlined an approach to handle states that had voted in legal cannabis and medical marijuana. Said memo recommended the department continue enforcing federal laws, but to leave legal states with regulatory systems alone, or at least not prioritize them.
In his own remarks last week, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein spoke at the Heritage Foundation, saying that the guidance given by the Cole Memo was under review.
“We are looking at the states that have decriminalized marijuana,” said Rosenstein. “I think there is some pretty significant evidence that marijuana turns out to be more harmful than a lot of people anticipated and it is more difficult to regulate than I think was contemplated by some of those states. We are going to take that all into consideration and then determine whether to revise that policy.”
Sessions assembled a task force in February to look for the harm and the rise in crime due to marijuana. When their findings were reported by the AP, they were “tepid” at best. How Sessions and Rosenstein will show marijuana’s harm without any proof or pudding is anyone’s guess, but their efforts are a frightening prospect indeed.
Two months after announcing a groundbreaking cannabis education curriculum, the University of Maryland’s School of Pharmacy now says it is backtracking on the plans.
According to a report in the Baltimore Sun, the bold initiative was nixed after university officials met with the Maryland attorney general’s office. “If there’s any question of the law, they are often consulted,” Alex Likowski, a spokesman for the University of Maryland, Baltimore, told the Sun. “Regarding medical cannabis, even though Maryland and many other states have approved it, it’s still illegal under U.S. law.”
The program’s cancellation is a setback for cannabis education. “Medical education needs to catch up to marijuana legislation,” said Dr. Laura Jean Bierut, a professor of psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “Physicians in training need to know the benefits and drawbacks associated with medical marijuana so they know when or if, and to whom, to prescribe the drug,” she said.
Although medical marijuana is legal in more than half the states in the nation, more than 67 percent of medical school deans say graduates are not prepared to prescribe medical marijuana, according to a recent report. About 25 percent of graduates are unable to answer basic questions about medical marijuana.
The research also indicates that 90 percent of medical school graduates are unprepared to recommend medical marijuana and 85 percent say they did not receive any marijuana education.
“As a future physician, it worries me,” said study author Anastasia Evanoff. “We need to know how to answer questions about medical marijuana’s risks and benefits, but there is a fundamental mismatch between state laws involving marijuana and the education physicians-in-training receive at medical schools throughout the country,” Evanoff added.
When the University of Maryland announced its cannabis curriculum in July, educators insisted that the program was not a tacit endorsement of medical marijuana, but they wanted to properly educate students. According to the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education:
Pharmacy students have a knowledge gap about medical uses and adverse effects of medical marijuana, which may reflect a lack of formal education in their pharmacy curriculum. If the use of marijuana shifts from an illegal substance to a prescribed medicinal agent, pharmacy students and other health care professionals will need education and training to competently address its safe and effective use. … Pharmacy schools need to evaluate the adequacy of medical marijuana education in their courses and consider revising curriculum accordingly.
This disparity is what fueled the University of Maryland to add cannabis classes to its curriculum. “We wanted to be there as a resource,” Magaly Rodriguez de Bittner, a pharmacy professor and executive director of the school’s Center for Innovative Pharmacy Solutions, said. “If you’re going to be dispensing, let’s make sure your staff is trained in best practices to do it safely and effectively.”
Maryland doctors are not required to have any kind of training or certification to recommend medical marijuana. But the state requires workers employed by growers, processors, dispensaries and laboratories to have specific training.
Until the federal government acts on marijuana law reform, education on the issue will be sparse. As Paul Armentano, deputy director of the advocacy group NORML, told the Sun:
“It is likely that medical schools will continue to shy away from cannabis education until the federal scheduling of cannabis is amended and/or the plant’s therapeutic utility is formally recognized by the FDA.”
Cannabis, in all its shapes and forms, can really spark up your love life. The cannabis industry has developed all kind of sweet treats that are ideal for breaking the ice on a first date or having some fun sex with a long-time partner. All of these products are super fun because, well, you’ll see. Check out this short list of products that’ll lead to the best date night ever:
Foria is a company that makes cannabis infused lubes, and Foria Awaken is their latest product which contains CBD instead of THC. The best part is that this product can be shipped anywhere, so you don’t have to worry about buying anything illegal if you’re living in a state where cannabis isn’t legalized. Boo.
While it sounds like some cocktail that James Bond would drink, this potion is legit and it’s designed to put you in the mood for sex. It’s a tincture that can be added onto any beverage, and a lot of people swear by it, claiming that it’s improved their sex life. Love Potion is like Viagra but universal, and also natural. Which is so awesome.
This amazing cake pan in the shape of a marijuana leaf is a cool choice for spending a date night at home. You’ll get to bake a giant pot brownie that’ll make you want to laugh and have sex.
A post shared by Enrique Algar Alvarez (@pi_racy) on
Games are also pretty fun for a date. It gives you something to do, which will ease away any tension you may have if this is one of your first dates and it’ll probably make you laugh. The game is fun and is the perfect partner to a pot brownie or a joint.
These sexy bath bombs are gorgeous and we all know that there’s nothing more romantic than a bubble bath. Especially a pink one. The bath bomb contains both CBD and THC, which means that you’ll be relaxed no matter what.
If you smoke marijuana, Arizona State University wants to study you. A report circulated online that sounded similar to other hippie pipe dreams involving ASU looking to examine in-state medical marijuana patients in-state.
At first it seemed too good to be true, but the university confirmed the information on its website this week.
Researchers from the ASU Department of Psychology are looking for medical marijuana users between the ages of 18-30 with an Arizona medical marijuana card to participate in a study. The study compares the immediate effects of your at-home use of different types of marijuana and takes approximately 10 hours over the course of 1 week. During that week, you will be asked to come to the lab for a two hour visit, and you will receive several text messages per day asking you to complete short surveys related to your marijuana use and marijuana effects. Participation is voluntary.
Those volunteers will earn $95 for their time, which is good enough to score about a quarter-ounce to a half-ounce of quality weed at Arizona’s state dispensaries.
ASU researcher Madeline Meier confirmed the validity of the study as well to the Phoenix New Times. Meier’s work has made worldwide headlines while supervising ASU’s Substance Use, Health, and Behavior Lab. Her studies have ranged from detailing how long-term cannabis use from childhood adversely affects adulthood IQ and cannabis users’ worst possible worry was less-healthy teeth and gums.
Meier also participated in another study that expanded her initial cannabis findings recently published in the scientific journal Addiction. It illustrated no evidence of IQ loss in adolescents ages 12-18 who consume marijuana.
“Findings from the two studies suggest that short-term cannabis use in adolescence probably does not harm IQ but long-term cannabis use might,” Meier told Phoenix New Times. “The major concern is that some adolescents who use cannabis will find it difficult to quit and will develop long-term dependence on cannabis as adults, which has been found to harm cognitive function.”
While the current study underway remains under wraps, the posting on ASU’s website mentions “understanding links between cannabis use, psychotic-like experiences, and vascular health” and “testing whether older adult marijuana users show neuropsychological impairment and functional impairment in everyday life.” Click here to learn more and information about participating.
Weed, pot, grass, marijuana — or cannabis to use the proper terminology — will be legal in Canada from July 1, 2018. Anyone over the age of 18 will be able to walk into a store and buy up to 30 grams of regulated product. While most Canadians approve of this new policy, many also believe the law will fail to stop more children using the drug. So how should we talk to kids and teenagers about legal marijuana? What can parents do with legalization just months away?
This is a question that I — as a cannabis researcher and father of 17-year-old twin boys — take very seriously, and for good reason. Globally, cannabis is the most available and most used illegal substance and Canadian youth have some of the highest use rates in the world.
The good news is that parents have many tools at their fingertips to protect their children and teens. Here, I offer six steps to help you navigate this tricky terrain.
1. Start Family Discussions Early
The best defence against any kind of drug abuse is knowledge and education. Being properly informed about drugs is central to the harm reduction approach to drugs that is slowly gaining momentum across Canada and other parts of the world.
Education starts at home. And it should begin as early as possible, with age- appropriate language like that used in It’s Just a Plant, a book designed for parents who want to talk to their children about cannabis.This approach recognizes that drug abuse is a public health and education problem, not a crime problem. Much of our successes in combating drinking and driving, and reducing cigarette smoking, have come through information and education initiatives.
Discussing cannabis with your child should be no different than discussing alcohol and nicotine. A frank conversation about all substances, both legal and illegal, is essential to preventing the abuse of any drug among our youth.
2. Find Evidence-Based Information
Parents do need to educate themselves about drugs, rather than relying on their own personal experiences or media scare stories. There is a great deal of research available on cannabis and other drugs. But this wealth of information can understandably be overwhelming.
Kids need to know that cannabis is not harmless. And that it has become much more potent over the years. The best decision, like with all legal and illegal substances, is abstinence. Undoubtedly, from a health perspective, if people can get through life without using caffeine, tobacco, alcohol and other drugs, they are better off.
However, because we live in a society saturated with drugs (just check out the beer and pharmaceutical ads on television or the long coffee shop lineups), we need to be pragmatic.
Our children will be exposed to many drugs throughout the course of their lives, including cannabis. They may decide to experiment or use more regularly. So they need to know what the potential harms are, as well as the potential benefits. They also need to know the differences between use and abuse.
While much more research is required, the key health concerns with cannabis are addiction, mental illness, damage to the developing brain, driving while intoxicated and cardiovascular disease.
4. Talk About Socializing, Creativity And Sex
Besides discussing the harms associated with the abuse of cannabis, parents need to have an honest discussion about why people use it — without relying on outdated stereotypes or stigmatizing users. This can be more difficult for parents who don’t use cannabis themselves as they may think that such a discussion will encourage use.
But by explaining why and how people use cannabis, parents can demystify the drug. They can demonstrate that, like alcohol, cannabis can be used responsibly by most people in a variety of social contexts.
This “normalizing” of cannabis reduces its status as a choice for the rebellious. It makes the formerly mysterious and taboo drug rather boring and mundane. This may help explain why cannabis use by youth in Colorado has not increased significantly since the drug was legalized.
So why do people use cannabis recreationally?
For centuries, people all over the globe have used cannabis for many reasons. The research has found that — like alcohol users — most use cannabis as a rational choice to enhance certain activities.
When used properly, it can help with relaxation and concentration, making many activities more enjoyable. Eating, listening to music, socializing, watching movies, playing sports, having sex and being creative are some things some people say cannabis makes more enjoyable.
Sometimes people use cannabis to enhance spiritual experiences or to make mundane tasks like chores more fun. But most importantly, most users recognize that there’s a time and place for use and have integrated it into their lives without forgoing their daily obligations and responsibilities.
5. Teach Responsible Cannabis Use
The responsible use of cannabis is identical to the responsible use of alcohol. The key principles are: understand the effects of the different strains (sativa, indica and hybrids) of cannabis; avoid mixing with other drugs; use in a safe environment; use in moderation; don’t let use interfere with responsibilities; and don’t use in contexts that may endanger the lives of others, such as driving while under the influence.
Many of the health concerns relating to cannabis are associated with heavy chronic use or, in other words, abuse of the drug. As with most things in life, moderation is key. Moderation — in frequency and amount — is important for the responsible use of any substance.
Recent research suggests that many cannabis users, like alcohol users, use responsibly. If parents reinforce the importance of responsible use, their children will be far less likely to suffer the harms associated with cannabis.
6. Just Say “Know,” Not “No!”
History has shown us that the war on drugs has been an abysmal failure. Prohibition hasn’t prevented people — young or old — from using drugs. Prohibition created a black market, gang wars, corruption and dangerous products.
A harm reduction approach to cannabis regulates a safer quality product and focuses on informing people about the potential risks and benefits of cannabis use. Educating our youth about cannabis and responsible use — through talking with them and listening to them — will be far more effective and safer than trying to stop them using it.
When it comes to kids and weed, it’s better to say “know” than “just say no!”
SOMEONE’S LYING! Kanye West says it’s a complete lie to suggest he was abusing drugs that messed with his psychological state and kept him from completing his tour, and he still wants his $10 million insurance claim paid out.
West is responding to Lloyd’s of London after they refused to pay off his insurance policy after he was hospitalized with alleged extreme paranoia last year and ultimately pulled the plug on the rest of the tour. Lloyd’s put the blame on West, claiming his breakdown was fueled by his own abuse of medications and drugs.
Blac Chyna Threatens Rob Kardashian With Million Dollar Lawsuit
Blac Chyna and Rob Kardashian’s feud is far from over! Though the embattled couple recently reached an official custody agreement for their 10-month-old daughter Dream, word has it the two have yet to settle their legal disputes. According to sources, Chyna plans to sue Rob for leaking her nude photos during his infamous online tirade this summer.
Love the fresh dirt we bring over daily from Naughty Gossip? Let us know in the comments!
Goop is a successful media company run by Gwyneth Paltrow. As a lifestyle and wellness brand, the company tends to focus on health, fitness, and holistic alternatives to modern medicine. Though it should be mentioned Goop has come under scrutiny for promoting unsubstantiated medical advice, it boasts a loyal and devoted following ranging from the Whole Foods crowd to Gwyneth Paltrow fans.
The company is expanding and released its first print publication on newsstands now. Admittedly, Goop’s rise wouldn’t have occurred without Paltrow, something the actress and activist seems well aware of. She is the magazine’s first cover star, appearing naked, covered in mud, with the caption, “Earth to Gwyneth.”
Inside includes an extensive Q&A with Paltrow, where she touches on everything from the magazine’s inception, what wellness means to Goop, and what it means to be a woman asking the right questions in 2017. But Paltrow also discussed marijuana legalization, showing support by appearing with a vaporizer pen in one of the inside glossy photos. She doesn’t hide from marijuana usage either, stating quite emphatically, “Oh, I’ve tried it, and yes, I inhaled!”
What’s really interesting to see, with all the legalization of marijuana happening, is how there’s evidence that it can be helpful in a medicinal sense for people. That it can really be an alternative pain management system, and, in some cases, helpful for depression.
I think there is a lot of pushback against [medical marijuana], because I don’t think we can monetize it with the same kind of margin you can with an anti-anxiety pill that you get from behind the counter. But it’s incredible to see people who can’t sleep, or people who have chronic pain, report really positive results, and it’s a natural substance.
Paltrow also went to state how so many people can feel reluctant that they are in control of their own health. It’s what in part, as she says, led us to a “complete opioid epidemic. And then we are as a culture, very resistant to more natural options.”
But times are changing Paltrow believes. As people become more aware of their own capabilities and self-control, more possibilities open up and individuals become more comfortable with something like marijuana.
“[W]e’re just at this very interesting, I think, paradigm shift, because, we can tell that culturally people are so fascinated, and they want to try ways to take control over their health and well-being,” she said. “They want to be the steward of their own ship. There’s just a ton of really interesting back and forth, and it’s interesting to be at the crux of it.”
Perhaps as a joke you’ve asked an artificial intelligence program like iPhone’s Siri Big Important Questions. Ones like, “Siri, what’s the meaning of life?” or “How do I know if I love someone?” Yep, they are suing Siri as their therapist.
You wouldn’t be alone if you did. Apparently, a significant number of people are turning to their phone for these types of life queries these days, if an Apple job posting is to be believed.
“People have serious conversations with Siri,” reads the job posting’s description. “People talk to Siri about all kinds of things, including when they’re having a stressful day or have something serious on their mind. They turn to Siri in emergencies or when they want guidance on living a healthier life.”
So Apple is hiring someone with a unique skillset to lead what they’re “the next revolution in human-computer interaction.” The job was posted online in April but recently was uncovered by CNBC reporter Christina Farr who posted about on Twitter.
Interesting! Apple job post says users turn to Siri in emergencies. So it's hiring an engineer w/ a psych backgroundhttps://t.co/S9uiygx1yq
This news also coincides with a study from last year that posits conversation agents like Siri fail to respond adequately serious inquiries from its users. The study was published in the JAMA Internal Medicine journal and was a joint venture between Stanford and UC-San Francisco.
“The findings point to significant gaps in the artificial intelligence of the conversational agents, which are typically part of a phone’s operating system,” reads a release on the Stanford School of Medicine website. “They found that Siri and other smartphone intelligent assistants trivialized some important inquiries or failed to provide appropriate information, particularly when it came to questions about interpersonal violence and rape.”
The job requires a unique skillset. Apple is looking for “people passionate about the power of data and have the skills to transform data to intelligent sources.”
Hopefully the new person will be able to tell Siri the meaning of life. And then she can tell the rest of us fools.
When it comes to kids and weed, it’s better to say 
