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Texas Just Issued Its First Medical Marijuana License

Brendan Bures
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Texas Just Issued Its First Medical Marijuana License

Cansortium Texas, part of Florida-based Cansortium Holdings, received the first medical marijuana license from the state of Texas last week. Two more companies may be on the way soon, too.

Reported first by the Austin American Statesman, the company will soon be able to grow, cultivate, and sell marijuana for patients with a rare form of epilepsy. Cansortium also owns medical cannabis licenses in Florida, Pennsylvania, and Puerto Rico. The company’s CEO Jose Hidalgo says he was humbled by the decision.

The Texas Department of Public Safety is also reviewing applications from Compassionate Cultivation and Surterra Texas. More than 40 applicants contested for the limited licenses the state offers under its strict medical marijuana program. The DPS ran facility inspections to ensure the companies were up to code with the scrutinized regulations.

Via the Austin-American Statesman:

Licenses are being issued under the Texas Compassionate Use Act, which Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law in 2015. The act legalized the production and sale of cannabidoil, an oil that doesn’t produce a high. The law only allows patients with intractable epilepsy to use the oil. Patients must have a doctor’s prescription and have already tried two conventional drug treatments that weren’t effective.

Chief executive of Compassionate Cultivation Morris Denton called it a “challenging market” and understandably so. But as activists and lobbyists attempt to push through a larger medical marijuana program into Texas legislation, these companies are establishing facilities for when the market likely expands. While the Statesman article doesn’t explicitly state nor does the business operators, this is the bet being made on marijuana in Texas.

These three companies will pay an early $490,000 fee if they’re approved and must pay an additional $320,000 to renew their license every two years. The state says this will cover the cost of regulation. Should the Texas market expand, industry leaders believe it could rival California’s booming multi-billion cannabis economy.

Watch This Guy Propose To Girlfriend While Meeting The Pope

Maria Loreto
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Watch This Guy Propose To Girlfriend While Meeting The Pope

Dario Rodriguez was part of an 80 politician delegation from around the world that gathered at the Vatican to visit the Pope, pay their respects, and talk about the political situations from their individual countries. Rodriguez attended the gathering with his girlfriend Maryangel Espinal, and he took the opportunity of his meeting with the Pope to shed a light on the political turmoil that his country, Venezuela, has been going through.

Rodriguez talked about the years he spent in Panama, the country where he’s been living since he left his own, where he’d been helping kids and teens in theatre groups. He then expressed his happiness over the fact that the Pope will visit Panama in 2019 for World Youth Day. He surprised his girlfriend and the Pope by asking for a special blessing and getting down on one knee.

I could see that Maryangel was thinking: ‘What’s he going to do? Is he going to ask for a selfie?’ She was shocked. I explained to the Holy Father that the woman next to me is the woman of my life. I met her in church, that God put her in my life, and I want to propose to her. So I got down on one knee and asked.”

Reports Rodriguez, who also claims that Maryangel was too shocked to speak, which made the Pope ask her what her answer was. When she finally said yes, the couple got their blessing from the Pope, with delegates from all over the world cheering and celebrating their engagement.

Man Points A Gun At Someone Over A Political Bumper Sticker

Maria Loreto
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Man Points A Gun At Someone Over A Political Bumper Sticker

Edward Burns faces a felony charge after pointing a gun at a democratic activist. It’s strange that statement doesn’t sound strange at all.

The event is being referred to by officials as a road rage incident where, during a heated argument that led to a car crash, Burns threatened to shoot Laura Umphenour, an activist who’d just attended a protest. According to the police statement, both parties were being offensive with each other and were using strong language. At one point, Umphenour pulled up her car next to Burns and flipped him off, which prompted Burns to pull out his gun and point it at her, threatening her. Because that’s the logical response to a heated argument.

Umphenour declared in her statement that she was in fear of being seriously injured or killed, which made her jerk the steering wheel and lose control of the vehicle. This sudden reaction struck the front of Burns’ SUV and led to both of the vehicles to slide across the roadway and crash into a guardrail.

During his confession Burns noted several political decals, which expressed a different political view than his own, on the rear of Umphenour’s van; which he thought were stupid.”

Declared the policeman in charge of the investigation. So, in hindsight, you should be wary of what you say, who you talk to, and also, which bumper stickers you have in your car. You never know who might be watching and clearly, there are some weird people everywhere. 

The 3 Best ‘South Park’ Marijuana Episodes Of All Time

Evan Eitzel
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The 3 Best ‘South Park’ Marijuana Episodes Of All Time

Around the turn of the century, we were working at an alternative weekly in San Francisco with a colleague who claimed to have worked with “South Park” creators Tre Parker and Matt Stone at a Colorado ski resort before the two had animated their first takes on Kyle, Stan and the rest of the boys (FWIW, we have no reason to doubt him, we just weren’t there, ya know?).

“You’re not gonna believe this, but those guys smoke more than any human beings I’ve ever seen since,” he said. 

Actually we totally believe that. But given the creators are such enthusiasts, “South Park” is relatively light on cannabis references. Maybe it has to do with Comedy Central’s standards and practices (we doubt it), or the fact that fourth graders simply don’t smoke enough to sustain a plot (more likely), or the fact that cannabis can be a comedy crutch and Stone and Parker have more to say (bingo). But there have been herb-driven episodes of the animated juggernaut, which begins its 21st season tonight. Here are the three best.

Image courtesy of South Park Studios

Ike’s Wee Wee 

Season 2, Episode 3; Original air date: May 20, 1998

Not just about cannabis, but in keeping with classic South Park episode structure, it was the secondary story (the best episodes usually run two plot lines at the same time with the secondary being the same joke told many ways over and over). Mr. Mackey, the school counselor of “Drugs are bad, mkay?” fame gives a lecture to the children on drugs … er … being bad, mkay? To drive home his point, he passes around a sample of lit cannabis so the kids will know what it smells like. It never makes it back to him and Mackey loses his job as a result.

Because it’s “South Park” this leads him into a downward spiral that (of course) leads him to becoming a hippie (cardinal sin on the show), deciding to marry a hippie girl, and honeymooning in India. There he is captured and put into rehab where he emerges clean and gets his job back. 

It’s also notable for this bit of advice from Chef that pretty much cemented the show to its core audience: “This is all I’m going to say about drugs. Stay away from them. There’s a time and a place for everything and it’s called college.”

Image courtesy of South Park Studios

Towlie 

Season 5, Episode 8; Original air date: Aug. 8, 2001

The series’ only true stoner, an anthropomorphic towel with the catchphrases “Wanna get high?,” “I have no idea what’s going on,” and especially “Don’t forget to bring a towel.” While he would appear infrequently in subsequent episodes (including an intervention in 2010) this is an origin story. One that involves the boys, the military, a secret government plot (of course), and eventually aliens trying to take over the world (even more of course). Though Towlie’s drug of choice is cannabis he eventually slides into crack and meth use in subsequent episodes (Note: this is a cartoon. Please don’t cite this as proof of cannabis as a gateway drug, especially if you happen to be Attorney General of the United States).

The episode also featured a fake ad for Towlie merchandise, though the show later sold actual merch thorough its website. It appears those items – including an actual Towlie towel – are no longer for sale.

Cartman, for a change actually serving as the voice of the audience, comments toward the end of the episode “You’re the worst character ever, Towelie,” to which he (it?) meekly replies “I know.”

Image courtesy of South Park Studios

Medicinal Fried Chicken 

Season 14, Episode 3; Original air date: March 31, 2010

The episode where “South Park” squarely takes on the issue of legal cannabis is not only spot-on, but one of the funniest of the series. Allegedly inspired by a real-life Los Angeles dispensary that set up shop in a closed KFC, it follows Randy, Stan’s dad, as he tries to secure a prescription for medical cannabis.

Randy assumes healthy patients qualify. When told this is not the case he tries to give himself cancer, eventually putting his testicles in a microwave (no clue how he shut the door or got the microwave to work with the door open, but it is a cartoon after all). This gives him testicular cancer and gets him his needed script. The downside (aside from, you know, testicular cancer): His testicles continue to grow to the point where he eventually uses them as a bouncy ball to get around town. This isn’t an issue until they grow so large he has trouble getting them through the door of the dispensary. The images are among the very best visual jokes the series has had to offer.

The secondary story has Cartman entering a black market to manage his fried chicken addiction. We’re all addicted to something.

Gossip: Aaron Carter’s Drug And Cosmetic Surgery Addiction Exposed; Randy Jackson Says Janet Jackson Was Abused

Naughty Gossip
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Gossip: Aaron Carter’s Drug And Cosmetic Surgery Addiction Exposed; Randy Jackson Says Janet Jackson Was Abused

Aaron Carter is finally ready to face his biggest demons.

The 29-year-old singer broke down into tears as he shockingly confessed to an addiction to cosmetic surgery and prescriptions drugs in a new teaser for “The Doctors.” In an emotional interview, the troubled pop star opens up about about his struggles and owns up to dabbling in illicit activities to get his fix.

Addressing his frail and gaunt appearance, which many allege has been caused by meth and crack cocaine use, Aaron says he’s become obsessed with going under the needle in order to look the part of successful celebrity.

“I get fillers. Restylane, Voluma, Rejuviderm. I get all three, and I’m going to continue doing it,” he reveals. “It makes me smile in the mirror.”

Though the beauty procedures do boost his self-esteem a little, Aaron believes he’s heading down a dark path with his obsession.

“I see a pretty good looking guy, I’m just skinny,” he shares as his smile fades. “And I just want to get better.”

To ease the pain, the former child star admits to taking numerous numbing drugs like Xanax and Oxycodone prescribed by his doctors. When he can’t get a valid prescription for the pills, Aaron says he will turn to the streets and buy them illegally from dealers.

Still, he insists he has his addiction under control having checked himself into rehab in 2011.

“I don’t mix medications, I do it to release stress of pain or angst,” he explains. “I have no problem telling exactly what it is.”

The “Candy” crooner adds, “The truth shall set your free and my father always said that.”

Randy Jackson Says Janet Jackson Was In Abusive Marriage And Is Still Being Harassed By Wissam Al Mana

Janet Jackson’s brother, Randy Jackson, is spilling ALL the tea regarding Janet’s failed marriage to Wissam Al Mana.

He says that during the marriage Wissam was verbally abusive to Janet and made her feel like a ‘prisoner’ in her own home.

“It was quite an abusive situation,” Randy claims. “It came on later in the relationship, verbal abuse and being [made to feel like] a prisoner in her own home. No pregnant woman needs to go through being called a bitch everyday. There were things like that. That’s what she went through.”

Attorneys for Wissam deny the allegations, saying:

“Mr. Al Mana is not going to dignify these particular and deeply hurtful allegations with a response. The breakdown of his marriage to Janet Jackson is a cause of great sadness to Mr. Al Mana, and it is the wellbeing and privacy of their son, Eissa, that remains his sole focus.”

Randy went on to clarify that the abuse was not physical, but he still tried to get Janet out of the situation long before she actually left.

“I told her, ‘You’ve got to move in with me or I’m going to go over there and there’s going to be hell.’ She was really pissed off. I told her, ‘I don’t care anymore. I’m tired of it. It’s too much,’ ” he says

“My mom and [sister] Rebbie came out [to London].”

“I didn’t want them to know. My parents are up there in age so I wanted to protect them as much as possible, but now they know. Everybody in the family knows.”

Randy also dispels rumors that Janet converted to Islam, noting that she’s Christian.

“I have a lot of Muslim friends and they don’t act that way at all,” he says. “It’s a personal issue that he needs help with and I’m going to pray for him, too. But I’m not going to allow her to live in that abusive situation. She’s my baby sister.”

Janet recently broke down in tears during her State of the World tour. Randy says it’s because the abuse is still continuing.

“What you saw in Houston, it was her situation coming out, what she’s been going through. The abuse is still going on.”

“She has custody and he of course allowed her to bring the baby on tour, but it’s constant harassment. This tour almost didn’t happen, but by the grace of God we’re here and we’re very prayerful.”

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

The First National Cannabis Ad Just Aired On Cable

Brendan Bures
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The First National Cannabis Ad Just Aired On Cable

In an unprecedented move for the cannabis industry, a television advertisement directly referencing marijuana ran on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, Viceland, the Weather Channel, Headline News, and Fox Business.

The ad is for Hoban Law Group, a national cannabis firm that specializes in medical marijuana, hemp, and adult-use cannabis issues. This marks the first time the word “cannabis” has been used and spoken directly in a national TV spot.

Hoban Law Group National TV AD from Derrick Perkins on Vimeo.

Hoban Law Group were able to get the advertisement on in large part to Denver-based DCP Media. Derrick Perkins was the producer working directly with the firm, and knew the specific guidelines required by each cable network to approve the ad.

Still, it wasn’t easy. As Bob Hoban, the firm’s founder, told Leafly, the networks wanted to ensure “we didn’t hit people over the head with the word ‘marijuana.’ So in the ad we talk about industrial hemp, and the medical and adult use marketplaces. They asked us not to flash a lot of marijuana plants, which was fine, that’s not our M.O. anyway.”

Check out the ad above.

Pretty In Pink: Say Goodbye To Summer With This Cannabis Sangria

Danielle Guercio
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Pretty In Pink: Say Goodbye To Summer With This Cannabis Sangria

Being a cannabis and wine loving millennial, developing a pink, cannabis infused sangria is my perfect way to say goodbye to my favorite season. It’s pointedly Millennials who enjoy pink wine, perfectly illustrated by all the products geared toward this preference. We also love internet jokes and are more pro-cannabis than any other generation that has come before. Bonus: it’s made with pears for taste and LOLs, as many of us fondly remember Rick Ross’ (aka Ricky Rose, one of the harbingers of rose’s rise in pop culture and popularity) favorite diet food and least favorite emoji. Shout out to all them pear!

Sometimes it seems the millennial pink theme is not lost on me (or my feed). Trends aren’t always people blindly following, some of us just like the foods and flavors that happen to be pink. Some people prefer cannabis and beer, but to me and many other of the millennial species, Wine and weed go together like peanut butter and jelly.

Sangrias don’t always have to be summery, even though they intrinsically please us on a sunny day. White sangrias are often a less sweet answer to the traditional red wine version, and since they are very malleable as they continue to be staple drinks, making a sangria for millennial palettes and party tastes is as on-brand as you can get.

Photos by Maria Penaloza

Millennial​ ​Pink​ ​Sangria

Danielle Guercio, 2017
Makes 5 servings, 17mg THC estimated per glass

  • 1 very ripe pear
  • 1 bottle of dry rose
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • ½ oz cannabis glycerin tincture*
Photos by Maria Penaloza

The riper the pear you start with the better. A super sweet pear will have more aromatics to leech into the wine. Dice into ½ inch chunks so there is plenty of surface area. Dispense into a pitcher.

Cut the lemon zest into strips for a confetti-like appearance that will be pleasing and helps the limonene infuse the wine with calming terpenes to help your high stay level. Add to the pear.

Photos by Maria Penaloza

Drizzle the tincture over the fruits, then add the wine and stir thoroughly until the tincture dissolves completely. Cover the pitcher with plastic and allow to infuse overnight in the refrigerator.

Serve with the pears if you infused overnight, discard the pears if you went longer than 24 hours. One night is the ideal saturation, after that the pears get less sweet and munching for them is less enjoyable. Pour over ice and add one or two of the lemon peels for garnish.

Photos by Maria Penaloza

*Cannabis​ ​Glycerin​ ​Tincture

Decarboxylate an eighth of finely ground cannabis by heating in an oven safe and well sealed container for 20 minutes at 225 degrees. Put Cannabis and glycerin into a jar or vacuum sealed bag and place in a water bath at just under boiling for 1-3 hours Strain into dropper bottle and dispense 1-5mL as a dose or use in recipes.

There’s nothing more in line with the new ideals of millennials around their enjoyment: moderation, joy without overindulgence, open to trying new things. Serve this and you’ll gain plenty of followers.

Photos: Maria Penaloza

More Claims Of Fentanyl In Cannabis Spark Controversy And Debate

Maria Loreto
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More Claims Of Fentanyl In Cannabis Spark Controversy And Debate

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid drug used to treat and manage pain, which can be up to 100 times more effective than morphine and consumption can be lethal, even in small doses. Overdoses have been a growing concern recently, with an alarming report of a 540% percent increase of Fentanyl-related deaths in the U.S in the last three years.

A recent report from London hints that Fentanyl has be found in cannabis, sparking a lot of controversy and fear from many sources, with a lot of people questioning the alert.

Marijuana advocates claim that the source of the warning came from patients of a treatment center for opiate addiction, where doctors found traces of Fentanyl in their urine. These advocates claim that the patients could have lied about the fact that they were only consuming cannabis as a way of avoiding negative consequences, which is why the traces of Fentanyl were found in their urine.

While this relationship between cannabis and Fentanyl hasn’t been reported from other sources, inflammatory claims like this still shed a negative light on cannabis, a plant who’s currently undergoing a delicate process of a sort of worldwide acceptance. It’s important now more than ever to conduct proper research and check the sources of all news outlets.

Former NFL Athlete Estimates 20 Percent Of Players Use Marijuana

Brendan Bures
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Former NFL Athlete Estimates 20 Percent Of Players Use Marijuana

Former players have come out in favor of cannabis, one athlete labeling it a “Godsend” as medicine. Currently the NFL prohibits usage of cannabis of its players in any form. With the amount of cannabis-related suspensions we’ve seen recently, the NFL appears determined to enforce the issue.

But it appears that isn’t the case. The Associated Press ran a story on former Oakland Raider Frank Hawkins and his evolution from football player into the cannabis industry this week. In it, he told the AP he “estimated 20 percent of current players — some of whom have come into his shop — are using some form of marijuana to relieve pain and inflammation.”

That figure is astounding. While you may debate the statistic, it’s been a poorly-kept secret around the league that more NFL athletes use marijuana than those who get caught. Hawkins just confirmed the notion. It should be noted, though, he believes marijuana can help players to manage their pain, as the NFL remains embroiled in an opioid crisis.

Frank Hawkins has some notable achievements to his name. As a member of the Oakland Raiders, he won the Super Bowl blocking for Marcus Allen back in 1983 against the Washington Redskins. Following his playing career he was elected to the Las Vegas City Council, becoming the first black city official in the city.

Later Hawkins would open the first medical marijuana dispensary in his hometown of Las Vegas. With Nevada residents voting to legalize recreational marijuana, Hawkins’ store has evolved to serve more than medical patients and, according to the AP report, business has been good.

Hawaii Aims To Be First State To Go Cashless For Cannabis

Mary Schumacher
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Hawaii Aims To Be First State To Go Cashless For Cannabis

To avoid cash related crimes such as robbery, Hawaii said on Tuesday that it hopes to be the first medical marijuana state to go cashless.

All eight of Hawaii’s cannabis dispensaries have agreed to go cashless by October 1st. A debit payment app that’s already being used in California and Colorado will be utilized by all patients. Whether patients with cash will be simply told no is yet to be discussed.

Helen Cho is the director of the Aloha Green Dispensary, and she believes that going cashless won’t be a requirement, per se, and they won’t have to turn away those without bank accounts. In the meantime, Hawaii is considering prepaid cards as an alternative.

The app is called CanPay and it’s based out of a Colorado credit union, Safe Harbor Private Banking, that expedites the transactions. The Hawaii dispensaries will set up the accounts with the credit union.

Using the cashless system, people simply use CanPay at the register and the moneys go to Safe Harbor.

Though there’s no question that avoiding having large amounts of cash on hand is a good thing, folks over at D.C.’s Marijuana Policy Project worry about putting all the eggs in one basket. They are concerned about hacks or companies going out of business.

Granted licenses last year, Hawaii has been waiting for its medical marijuana program to kick in since 2000. Now that it’s here, it’s revolutionizing the market already. Maui Grown Therapies was the first dispensary to open on the islands.

It’s tough to find banks that will work with cannabusinesses. Both parties become at risk if the pot operation isn’t dealing above the board. And though Obama era policies were put into place to ease concerns, most banks still think it’s not enough. Visa and Mastercard refuse to play at all.

There is also the question of how the current administration is going to behave. Though Trump said on the campaign trail that he’d leave cannabis alone, Attorney General Jeff Sessions still wants to “crack down” on legal marijuana.

And though it’s extraordinary, going cashless is likely not enough to sway a heart like Sessions’.

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