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Gossip: Blac Chyna Not Done With Rob Kardashian Yet; New Details On Fergie And Josh’s Split

Naughty Gossip
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Gossip: Blac Chyna Not Done With Rob Kardashian Yet; New Details On Fergie And Josh’s Split

Blac Chyna may be settling her custody war with Rob Kardashian … but she’s not done with him in court.

Sources close to BC tell TMZ … Chyna did NOT settle her beef with Rob over his revenge porn meltdown …. when he plastered nude pics of her all over social media. Chyna is determined to get her pound of flesh from Rob, in the form of seven figures. She’s still fuming over losing a couple of weight-loss endorsements, she says because the pics made it apparent she’s had plastic surgery and the companies want au naturel.

New Details On Fergie And Josh’s Split

“Fergie was the one who ended the marriage because she could not take it anymore,” the source said. “She didn’t think he was in love with her anymore. And she was not sure she was in love with him, either,” according to a new report. Fergie’s jealousy issues also drove a wedge between the pair. “She became so consumed in jealousy that it really tore them apart,” the source said.

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

Cannabis Use On The Rise, But Not Because Of Legalization

Mary Schumacher
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Cannabis Use On The Rise, But Not Because Of Legalization

While cannabis use in the U.S. has been on a sharp rise the last decade plus, studies like the one in the journal Addiction try to get to the root of why. Many people and entities have speculated that changes in law have emboldened the masses, however, this study conclusively showed no link between the rise in pro-pot policies across the states and increased use by Americans.

In its findings, the study states, “Results indicate that period effects are the main driver of rising marijuana use prevalence. Models including indicators of medical and recreational marijuana policies do not find any significant positive impacts.”

Related Story: Can Marijuana Topicals Help With Arthritis?

In the study’s conclusion, it wrapped up nicely with, “The steep rise in marijuana use in the United States since 2005 occurred across the population and is attributable to general period effects not specifically linked to the liberalization of marijuana policies in some states.”

Period effects versus policy changes means that those opposed to marijuana are simply aging out or at least the ideology of reefer madness is in its throes. The times they are a ‘changing, as Bob Dylan would warble.

Researchers from the Public Health Institute Alcohol Research Group pitted marijuana use against changes in state laws after having analyzed data from National Alcohol Surveys. Although 29 states and Washington D.C. have either medical or recreational laws in place at this point, the increased use of cannabis was based off societal effects, not policy changes.

It only makes sense. Policy changes occur with changing tides, and the societal tide change in how we view marijuana as a culture has become a mainstream phenomenon. The code 420 is beyond exposed, and not needed nearly so often. Now if only those with the power to change cannabis’ status as Schedule I would, society could go forward with its new appreciation of pot.

This is also a great contributing argument for continued legalization. Not only is legalization in keeping with the national temperature, it’s clearly not impacting youth or adult usage, so its prohibition is a very silly and sad thing indeed. Let’s hope that if it is descheduled, prisoners can go free and the plant can be utilized by the society that loves it.

Great News For N.H. Cannabis Consumers: No More Jail Time

Terry Hacienda
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Great News For N.H. Cannabis Consumers: No More Jail Time

N.H. cannabis consumers will have one less thing to worry about beginning on Saturday: Jail time will no longer be part of the punishment for simple possession. A state law decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana goes into effect on Saturday.

The law, signed into law in July by Gov. Chris Sununu, reduces the penalty for possession of up to three-quarters of an ounce of cannabis from a criminal misdemeanor to a civil violation with fines up to $300. New Hampshire now joins 22 states, including all of New England, in decriminalizing the herb.

Under the new law, New Hampshire police cannot arrest someone for a marijuana violation. “The governor and Legislature both deserve a lot of credit for moving the state forward with this commonsense reform,” said Matt Simon, the New England political director for the Marijuana Policy Project. “Unlike his predecessors, who opposed similar proposals, Gov. Sununu appears to understand that ‘Live Free or Die’ is more than just a motto on a license plate.”

HB 640 was introduced by Rep. Renny Cushing and a bipartisan group of co-sponsors in the House of Representatives, where it received overwhelming approval in February (318-36). The Senate amended and approved it on May 11 (17-6), and the House passed the Senate version by a voice vote on June 1. Gov. Sununu signed it on July 18.

According to an analysis performed by the ACLU, New Hampshire spent more than $6.5 million enforcing marijuana possession laws in 2010. The study also concluded that African Americans were 2.6 times more likely than white people to be busted for possession.

More than two-thirds of adults in New Hampshire (68%) support making marijuana legal, according to a Granite State Poll released in June by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center.

Here are some highlights of House Bill 640:

  • Possession of up to three-quarters of one ounce of cannabis or up to five grams of hashish will only be a fine. No arrest. No criminal record. Before decriminalization, this infraction would have been punishable by up to one year in jail
  • The final under the new law will be $100 for a first or second offense.
  • A third offense within three years of the initial offense will result in a fine of $300.
  • A fourth offense within three years of the original offense can result in a misdemeanor charge, but no arrest or jail time. and a $2,000 fine.
  • Those caught possessing cannabis who are under 18 will be sent to juvenile court.
  • Adults who fail to keep edible marijuana secure, allowing access to minors, are subject to a new misdemeanor offense.
  • 100 percent of the revenue from fines imposed under the law will go to a special fund for substance abuse prevention programs.

Here Is The One Way Marijuana Use Can Kill You

Trey Reckling
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Here Is The One Way Marijuana Use Can Kill You

Once upon a time, a human organ transplant was the stuff of science fiction. Today, it is an accepted miracle of modern medicine. When it comes to this subject however, marijuana use can kill you.

While the science has advanced at a rapid pace, the ethical challenge of deciding who can be eligible for organs and who to prioritize remains a challenge. Despite the fact that demand for lungs outpaces supply, cannabis smokers are often discounted as potential donors in a way that threatens the lives of patients.

In the United States, the Department of Health and Human Services develops requirements for the nation’s Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. When it comes to lung transplants, donors are evaluated based on age, smoking history and other criteria created more than 30 years ago.

Over a six-year period 302 subjects were examined, comparing the outcomes of those who received donated lungs from cannabis smokers versus non cannabis smokers. Variables, including 1 and 3 year survival ratings, were comparable between the two groups. A history of smoking cannabis didn’t seem to affect the outcomes. People were being saved regardless. 

Cannabis smokers are often disqualified to participate both as lung donors and recipients. They have been considered a greater risk because of a higher prevalence of developing lung infections. Because cannabis has long been the most commonly used illicit drug, this both reduces the potential pool of donors and people who may be helped.

Prejudice is not a new to the organ donation process. HIV was once widely regarded as a disqualifier for a patient seeking a transplant. Times changed and medicine improved. People with HIV began not just surviving longer but living and thriving. As a result, attitudes and restrictions changed and relaxed.

There are signs of shifting perceptions when it comes to other organs. A survey of doctors, surgeons and other heart transplant specialists from 26 countries found that 64.4 percent believed a patient using medical marijuana should not be disqualified for this single reason. Only 27.5 percent, supported allowing recreational marijuana users from being eligible donors. 

Arizona, California, Delaware,  Illinois, New Hampshire and Washington have laws that prohibit discrimination of organ transplant candidates based on authorized medical marijuana use. Recreational marijuana use does not have the same legal support and protection when it comes to organ transplants.

Researchers have concluded that expanding the donor pool could save more people. After all, one statistic is very clear: Those who received lungs from donors not considered to be prime candidates survived longer than those who failed to be matched and receive new lungs. To allow prejudice to rule over science is never a good answer, particularly when lives are at stake.

This Ancient Mayan Method Makes The Best Hot Chocolate Ever

Jillian Peterson
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This Ancient Mayan Method Makes The Best Hot Chocolate Ever

While everyone else is freaking out about their Pumpkin Spice Latte, a chocolatier in Antigua, Guatemala is using ancient Mayan techniques to produce a super rich hot chocolate. Some drinks take longer than a few minutes to make. And are well worth the wait.

The process takes four days to make and involves grinding roasted cacao beans on a traditional grinding stone called a metate. The technique is more than 3,000 years old. Originally, the cacao bean was used to make a ceremonial beverage. According to National Geographic:

The beans were roasted, ground, and brewed into a bitter hot chocolate drink that was used in religious ceremonies, buried in the tombs of dignitaries, and used to worship Ek Chuah, the Maya god of merchants and patron of cacao.

And as Mental Floss notes, the process still requires a ton of patience to make:

Once turned into 4-ounce chunks, the chocolate is cut into tablets on a special plant-based mat called a petate and divided in fourths, which can then be added into 90°F water. The temperature has to be just right to melt the chocolate to create a delicious Guatemalan hot chocolate.

The artisans at Chocolate D’ Taza, a fourth generation family business, add a mix of cinnamon, cardamom, and sugar to their chocolate.

National Geographic has the whole story:

 

Chainsaw-Wielding Nun Becomes Hero Florida Needs After Irma

Brendan Bures
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Chainsaw-Wielding Nun Becomes Hero Florida Needs After Irma

This might be the most badass nun we’ve ever seen. Following Hurricane Irma’s ravaging of South Florida, a massive cleanup undertaking was underway. Downed power lines and fallen trees covered the streets. And, well, not to bury the lede or anything but there was a chainsaw-wielding nun.

Sister Margaret Ann is her name and she was spotted by an off-duty Miami-Dade police officer, who posted video and images to the department’s Facebook. The department viewed the nun’s work as how Miami is coming together following the hurricane.

“Thank you Sister and all of our neighbors that are working together to get through this!” read the post.

Of course “chainsaw-wielding nun” makes headlines in today’s internet world and the story soon went viral. CNN interviewed Sister Margaret Ann, who responded graciously, stating she was trying to assist the community.

“There was a need, I had the means, so I wanted to help out,” she said.

The police officer who captured the video told the nun the police would soon take care of the debris, but she wasn’t having any of it.

“He said, ‘You know though, Sister, the police will do this.’ And I said ‘but it’s going to take them too long … it’s dangerous, people are going to get hurt here.’ ”

“We teach our students: Do what you can to help other people, don’t think of yourselves,” she also added. “That’s what I wanted to do.”

6 Reasons We’re Addicted To Pumpkin Spice Lattes

Amy Hansen
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6 Reasons We’re Addicted To Pumpkin Spice Lattes

There’s some actual science behind the reason we lose our collective mind when it’s pumpkin spice season. And they extend way past crisp autumnal vibes that hang in the air like a cloud of whipped cream sprinkled with cinnamon.  Well science has provide 6 reasons we’re addicted to pumpkin spice lattes.

1. Salt

Most likely, there’s salt in whatever pumpkin spice treat you’re enjoying. And when it’s layered with sugar, it’s downright addictive. Also, researchers believe it stimulates the brain much like cigarettes and hard drugs do. Make sure to hashtag #addict along with #psl and #pumpkinspiceyall next time you Insta.

RELATED: 9 Of The Best Pumpkin Beers In America

2. Sugar And Fat

This combo is even more powerful than sugar and salt. Sugar and fat not only boost your mood, but it sparks your appetite. You may want to rethink the whip atop your next PSL.

3. Emotions

It’s no secret that smells can trigger emotions and memories, and when you’re consuming spices related to holidays, you’ll likely recall some heart warming stories. Each sip of a PSL is like a trip down memory lane. Bonus: nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon are considered “brain healthy” seasonings that are beneficial to our memory, mood and pain relief.

4. Caffeine

Not only is it an addictive substance, nothing beats that first sip of coffee in the morning. The Mayo Clinic recommends no more than 400 mg a day. A grande Starbucks PSL only has 150 mg, but it can take as little as 100 mg per day to feel the effects of withdrawal symptoms.

5. Conformity

Wanting to fit in is a real thing. The association between PSL and a “basic bitch” isn’t coincidence.

RELATED: Pumpkin Spice Coffee Is Here And Summer Is Officially Over

6. FOMO

Pumpkin spice is exclusive to the fall. And things that are available for a limited time are automatically more appealing. There’s something called reactance theory that supports this: “According to the theory, when an individual’s freedom to engage in a specific behavior is threatened. the threatened behavior becomes more attractive.”

 

Are Kilos Of Legal Marijuana Being Diverted To Illegal States?

MJ News Network
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Are Kilos Of Legal Marijuana Being Diverted To Illegal States?

There is little evidence to substantiate claims that large quantities of cannabis produced legally in adult use states are being diverted to neighboring jurisdictions where the plant remains illegal, according to an analysis published online ahead of print in the Boston College Law Review.

A professor at the Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego argues, “As constructed, marijuana legalization laws make it unlikely that legally produced marijuana will be diverted to other states for sale.” This is because existing adult use regulatory laws place limits regarding the quantities of cannabis that may be legally grown and distributed, enforce oversight measures like ‘seed-to-sale’ tracking, and impose numerous regulatory fees that inflate production costs to a level that makes it difficult for legal providers to undercut black market retail prices.

The paper further argues that the ease at which marijuana may be readily obtained at relatively low cost, even in states where it remains illegal, is a disincentive to criminal entrepreneurs from smuggling legally produced cannabis from one state to another.

“This is not to say the impact of current state legalization laws on marijuana use in neighboring states is zero,” the author concludes. “But there is little reason to believe it is or will be ‘substantial.’ ”

Claims made by members of law enforcement that the imposition of adult use regulations are adversely impacting neighboring states have largely not been validated. In 2016, the Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit brought by Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning and Oklahoma Attorney General E. Scott Pruitt which was largely based on this claim.

Full text of the paper, “Marijuana legalization and nosy neighbor states,” is available online.

For more cannabis business coverage, visit the MJ News Network. 

The Truth About How CBD Can Help Fibromyalgia Patients

Kent Gruetzmacher
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The Truth About How CBD Can Help Fibromyalgia Patients

Fibromyalgia is a disease that doctors can only diagnose by way of its symptoms—its causes are unknown and there are no known physical tests (blood, hair, etc.) for its existence. Furthermore, there are no recognized cures for the disease, any medicines used to treat fibromyalgia are utilized only to improve the quality of life of patients.

Because it cannot be identified via physical testing, fibromyalgia patients often confuse the manifestation of the disease with others that share in like symptoms. These symptoms include: sore muscles, fatigue, joint pain, stiffness, drowsiness, anxiety, depression, and tingling in the extremities. For a vast majority of fibromyalgia sufferers, chronic pain is the most debilitating symptom of the disease and often times prompts one to visit the doctor for a diagnoses. To this end, fibromyalgia is often times confused with other chronic pain diseases such as arthritis, bursitis, and tendinitis. Only after careful examination can doctors correctly diagnose fibromyalgia.

A majority of research, mostly from personal trial and error, into the potential medical applications of medical marijuana concerning fibromyalgia has to do with chronic pain—with some patients treating other less traumatic symptoms such as anxiety. With this notion in mind, CBD is the predominant compound from the cannabis plant that fibromyalgia patients have used as a medication.

CBDs

Cannabis plants contain “more than 85 cannabinoids”—of these THC and CBD are the most famous and widely utilized in the burgeoning medical marijuana culture. CBD is isolated from both the traditional marijuana plant as well as the hemp plant and is characterized as non-psychoactive—meaning that it doesn’t get users “high”. Along this line of thought, hemp-derived CBD products are currently sold throughout the United States while marijuana-derived CBD products are only available at cannabis dispensaries in medically or recreationally sanctioned States. To bring it back to the medical side of the topic, there are countless reports of disease and pain stricken individuals claiming that CBD has helped quell and even cure their ailments. With almost a total lack of legitimate scientific research into CBD as medicine these “first-hand” reports comprise a majority of the current medical knowledge related to CBD.

CBD And Fibromyalgia: First-Hand Reports

There are a variety of reports on the internet concerning the efficacy of CBD as a treatment, which improves the quality of life, for fibromyalgia patients. According to one fibromyalgia blogger / patient who simply goes by “Donna,” CBD oil dramatically helps reduce her chronic pain—particularly in her lower extremities. Furthermore, according to the website titled Fibromyalgia Treating: “patients report that it [CBD] helps with chronic pain, sleep, endurance, anxiety, depression, inflammation, muscle spasms, overall mental health and well-being, mood, and more”. However, it should be noted that not all fibromyalgia patients report benefits from the use of CBD. With this notion in mind, it should be noted that all drugs react uniquely with individuals and the benefits as well as side-effects of these drugs manifest on a subjective basis. Therefore, CBD could prove to be a “wonder drug” for fibromyalgia patients but it seems this can only be verified on a case-by-case basis.

Check Out This Irish Bar Where You Can Crash After A Night Of Drinking

Jillian Peterson
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Check Out This Irish Bar Where You Can Crash After A Night Of Drinking

How amazing would it be if every bar offered a place for you to lay your head after a night of drinking? Way more comfortable than the sidewalk, no?

There is such place. In Ireland. But it’s really and Airbnb.

It’s called Conroy’s Old Bar and it bills itself as The World’s First Self-Catering Bar—  a converted home that used to be a functioning pub. It’s also known as The Pub With No Beer.

Sad face.

Yep. This bar is dry.

And on Conroy’s website, they make that clear:

On entering Conroy’s Old Bar you could be mistaken into thinking it’s business as usual…So much so, that we advise our guests to keep the chain on the door; otherwise you could find at the bar, unsuspecting passers by, who are looking for a pint of the black stuff !

They also are strict about leaving the place as you found it. Under their FAQ & RULES they stipulate that “Conroy’s Old Bar is 1st and foremost our home. It contains our belongings, some of which have sentimental memories attached to them. With this in mind, we expect ALL guests to treat Conroy’s Old Bar with the respect it deserves and LEAVE IT AS YOU FIND IT.”

But mostly, they just make the place sound amazing:

The bar area with its Liscannor stone floor, highly polished mahogany bar, bar pumps, optics and the original till, has discreetly hidden behind it the fully functioning kitchen, where you can rustle up your own “bar food”. One comment our guests make time and time again is how they love having “breakfast at the bar”. The bar area is also home to the dart board and the skittles game.

There is also a room that has been converted from an old cellar that’s retained its sloping floor “to aid the moving of the barrels and also it’s original beer barrel delivery door.”

The cost? A little more than $100 per night. About the same price as a night on the town.

Here’s a look inside:

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